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Mumbai, January 19, 2026: The post of Mumbai mayor is likely to go to the Shiv Sena as a mark of respect to party founder Bal Thackeray during his birth centenary year, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday, seeking to calm speculation over tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Shinde said a section of Shiv Sainiks feels that having a Shiv Sena mayor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation would be an appropriate tribute to Bal Thackeray, whose birth centenary celebrations begin on January 23. He, however, underlined that any decision would be taken within the framework of the alliance and in line with the people’s mandate.
Rejecting reports of shifting political equations after the civic poll results declared last week, Shinde asserted that Mumbai would have a Mahayuti mayor. He added that similar arrangements would be followed in other municipal corporations where the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party contested the elections together.
The deputy chief minister stressed that the Shiv Sena would not take any step that runs contrary to the voters’ verdict, noting that the Mumbai civic elections were fought jointly by the Sena and the BJP. He said the trust reposed by Mumbaikars in the alliance would be respected.
Shinde’s remarks come amid debate over the movement of 29 Shiv Sena corporators-elect to a hotel in Mumbai after the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance secured a narrow majority in the 227-member BMC. The BJP won 89 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 29, giving the Mahayuti combine a slim edge.
There has been speculation that the Shiv Sena may seek the mayor’s post at least for the first half of the BMC term, coinciding with Bal Thackeray’s centenary year. Shinde maintained that wherever the alliance had contested together, the Mahayuti would have mayoral leadership, including in civic bodies such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar.
BJP leader Sanjay Nirupam also said the mayor of Mumbai would be from the ruling alliance and ruled out the possibility of a candidate from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) getting the post. He said voters in Mumbai had rejected what he described as years of misgovernance and given a clear mandate to the Mahayuti.
Nirupam added that the mayoral election could not be held until the reservation lottery for the post is completed, dismissing claims of any urgency or political manoeuvring.
Meanwhile, Harshal Pradhan, a spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, accused the BJP and Shinde of being power-hungry. He said they should resolve their internal differences without dragging the Sena-UBT into the issue.
The contest over the Mumbai mayor’s post continues to draw political attention, with alliance partners and rivals alike closely watching how the final decision unfolds in the country’s richest civic body.
