BMC elections 2026 : Mumbai’s Next Mayor To Be From Open Women Category

In a decisive development for Mumbai’s civic governance, the post of Mayor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been reserved for a woman from the general category. This outcome emerged from a lottery draw conducted by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department at Mantralaya on Thursday, setting the stage for the mayoral election on January 28.

The draw follows the closely watched BMC elections held on January 15, which marked a significant shift in the city’s political dynamics. For the first time in nearly three decades, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray lost its longstanding control over the civic body. Official results declared on January 16 showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing 89 seats to become the single largest party. Its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, won 29 seats, giving the BJP-Shinde Mahayuti alliance a combined total of 118 seats—surpassing the majority threshold of 114 in the 227-member house.

On the opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT) garnered 65 seats, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) took 6, bringing their alliance to 71. The Indian National Congress secured 24 seats, with the remaining 14 going to other parties including AIMIM and NCP factions.

With a clear majority, the Mahayuti alliance is now positioned to elect its preferred candidate as Mayor. The ‘General Woman’ reservation narrows eligibility to female corporators from the unreserved category, prompting immediate internal deliberations within the alliance. Sources indicate that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are discussing whether the BJP will retain the post for the initial 2.5-year term or allocate it to the Shinde Sena.

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Opposition leader Uddhav Thackeray, speaking to his winning corporators at Matoshree, criticized the developments and suggested that the ‘Marathi Manoos’ would remember perceived betrayals, while hinting at potential opposition strategies, including the possibility of fielding a candidate should any opportunities for cross-voting arise.

Nominations are expected to be finalized soon, with the Municipal Commissioner set to issue a gazette notification enabling formal filings. The election itself will proceed via a simple majority vote among the newly elected corporators at the BMC headquarters near CSMT on January 28, determining who will serve as Mumbai’s next First Citizen.