BJP–Shiv Sena alliance wins control of Mumbai civic body as Shiv Sena (UBT) retains Marathi vote base

The Hindu
The Hindu
9h ago
The BJP–Shiv Sena combine neared the winning figure in the 227-seat Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election, ending Uddhav Thackeray’s party’s more than 25-year control while Shiv Sena (UBT) won 64 seats and consolidated the Marathi vote bank.
BJP–Shiv Sena alliance wins control of Mumbai civic body as Shiv Sena (UBT) retains Marathi vote base
A What happened
The BJP–Shiv Sena combine inched closer to the winning figure in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election on January 16, 2026 night, and Uddhav Thackeray lost control of the civic body for the first time after more than 25 years of continuous rule. Shiv Sena (UBT) won 64 seats, down from 84 in 2017, while the BJP won 87 seats and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena won 27 seats in Mumbai. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders blamed Eknath Shinde for the defeat and said the BJP would not have been able to see its mayor in Mumbai without him. The results showed consolidation of the Marathi vote bank in favour of the Thackerays, while a senior BJP leader said non-Marathi votes consolidated for the BJP and the BJP also retained its core Marathi voters.
★

Key insights

  • 1

    Marathi vote consolidation favoured Shiv Sena (UBT): A senior BJP leader said the Marathi vote bank consolidated in favour of the Thackerays, and said a fear that the BJP was anti-Marathi was instigated to some extent in the Marathi population.

  • 2

    BJP leader cited seat-sharing risk with Shinde faction: A senior BJP leader said giving Eknath Shinde fewer seats could have created a narrative that the BJP was unjust to a Marathi party and could have hurt the BJP’s poll prospects.

  • 3

    Non-Marathi votes consolidated for BJP, according to BJP leader: A senior BJP leader said non-Marathi votes consolidated in favour of the BJP and the BJP also retained its core Marathi voters.

Takeaways

The BMC results put the BJP in the lead for control of Mumbai’s civic body while Shiv Sena (UBT) remained the main contender for the Marathi vote bank and the second-largest party by seats.

Topics

World & Politics Elections Governance

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Create Free Account Sign In

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.