Who will get Mumbai Mayor's chair—BJP or Shinde Sena? Here's who said what so far

Suspense continued over Mumbai's next Mayor on Monday, days after the Mahayuti alliance secured majority in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

While the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the BMC house of 227, it will have to depend on the Shinde Sena’s 29 seats to go past the halfway mark of 114.

It is not mandatory for single largest party to get the Mayor's post. But suspense over the post began amid speculation over the Shinde’s decision to move 29 corporators-designate of his party to a hotel

Shinde, who is also Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, sought to end speculation on Sunday by saying that Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor. Shinde said this after interacting with newly-elected Shiv Sena members of the BMC who have been shifted to a hotel.

Shinde Sena has sought a “clear and respectable share of power in the civic body,” according to a report in Indian Express quoting sources. The Sena has put two options on the table: 1) the Mayor’s post for half of the five-year term, or 2) control of the Standing Committee, considered the most powerful body in the BMC as it controls finances and key approvals.

Shinde also tool a dig at Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and said voters had chosen development over emotional issues.

"Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor. Even neighbouring cities like Kalyan-Dombivli will have a Mahayuti mayor," he told reporters.

Rejecting allegations that the corporators were being kept under watch at a luxury hotel, Shinde said the Shiv Sena was fearless.

"The new corporators will get a common platform to interact at the hotel. I wanted to meet them as we are registering the group of 29 corporators with the Konkan divisional commissioner," he said.

Many Shinde Sena corporators don’t want a BJP mayor: Raut

Shiv Sena leader and minister Uday Samant said the civic body polls were contested as the Mahayuti alliance. "The Shiv Sena will not do what the earlier Shiv Sena (headed by Uddhav Thackeray when he allied with the Congress after the 2019 polls) did," he said.

When asked about demands from within the party for the mayor’s post, Samant said, "Every party wants the main post, and Bal Thackeray's (birth) centenary year gives that demand a different dimension."

The BJP-Shinde-led Sena combine of Mahayuti won a clear majority in the 227-member BMC, securing 89 and 29 seats, respectively. The Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, while its ally MNS emerged victorious on six.

In a related development, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Sunday that many newly elected Shiv Sena corporators, who originally belonged to the Bal Thackery-founded party before its division, do not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai.

"Many new corporators are originally Shiv Sainiks (of undivided Shiv Sena). Our understanding is everyone wants that a BJP mayor not be elected,” Raut said adding even Shinde does not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai.

Shinde fighting to save political existence: Imran

Congress MP Imran Masood on Sunday took a swipe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the Maharashtra local body election results, saying Shinde is now fighting to protect his political existence and accusing the BJP of undermining its own allies.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Massod said, “Eknath Shinde now has to fight to save his political existence, whether his political being will remain or not. The BJP works to defeat all its allied parties... Now he should give up his attachment to power and save his existence.”

How is the Mumbai mayor elected?

The Mayor of Mumbai is elected by the Corporation from amongst the councillors. Once a political party or alliance secures at least 114 seats in the BMC elections, it decides who will be the mayor of Mumbai.

Before the names are picked, the Urban Development Department determines through a lottery which category (such as general, women, backward classes, etc) the mayoral post will be reserved for.

After this, eligible candidates file their nominations. The elected corporators of the BMC then vote in a special assembly. The candidate who gets a majority in the house, or more than half of the total corporators, is elected mayor.

(With agency inputs)