BJP’s Ritu Tawde elected Mumbai’s mayor unopposed

Ritu Tawde was elected Mumbai's 78th mayor, fulfilling BJP's promise of a Marathi leader. The session saw opposition protests and chaos.

MUMBAI: Ritu Tawde, 52, was elected Mumbai’s 78th mayor on Wednesday, fulfilling the BJP’s promise that the city’s first citizen would be a Marathi, while the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Ghadi was elected deputy mayor.

The BJP’s Ritu Tawde and the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Ghadi (right) took charge as the mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, in the presence of BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani (left). (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Tawde, a three-time corporator from Ghatkopar, is the city’s second BJP corporator to occupy the post, after a gap of 44 years.

Tawde and Ghadi were elected unopposed at a special general body meeting as opposition parties led by the Shiv Sena (UBT) did not field candidates.

After a four-year hiatus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) house reopened in its heritage building on Wednesday, welcoming the 227 newly elected corporators and conducting the much-awaited mayoral election. The session marked a historic moment as the BJP returned to power in the civic body after 44 years, ending the reign of the erstwhile undivided Shiv Sena.

The proceedings began at noon with the traditional rendition of Vande Mataram. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, and other ministers watched the proceedings from the gallery. Following the announcement of Tawde and Ghadi’s election, the leaders descended, to personally congratulate the new mayoral team.

However, the first session of the house in four years was soon marred by an uproar from the opposition. When Fadnavis and Shinde entered the house, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators shouted slogans, “Pannas khoke, ekdum Ok.”(Fifty boxes, absolutely OK). It’s a political slogan used by the Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties during the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and Eknath Shinde’s rebellion in Maharashtra, and refers to “boxes” of cash.

Former mayor Kishori Pednekar raised a point of order, objecting to the departure from tradition, where the outgoing mayor typically escorts the incoming mayor to the chair. Pednekar argued that seven-time corporator Shraddha Jadhav should have been appointed presiding officer in line with protocol.

With the city having been under administrative rule and without a mayor for four years, municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani presided over the election proceedings. Pednekar’s objection stemmed from a Maharashtra government notification dated January 23, 2026, which empowered the municipal commissioner to oversee the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections instead of the senior-most corporator.

The opposition’s protest led to loud sloganeering, disrupting the proceedings and creating a commotion in the house. Sena (UBT) corporators eventually staged a walkout.

Congress corporator and deputy group leader Ashraf Azmi also raised concerns about insufficient seating arrangements, despite the house being designed to accommodate all 227 members. Tensions escalated further when some Congress women corporators squatted on the floor and a few approached the dais, disrupting the decorum of the session.

Responding to the ruckus, mayor Tawde said, “The opposition considers playing politics in the house more important than the welfare of Mumbaikars. Instead of prioritising citizens’ interests, they are focused on how to stop the mayor’s speech but I will not let that happen. What can we expect from Sena (UBT) and Congress?”

She added, “Speaking disrespectfully about the prime minister and the chief minister at such a forum should have been thought through. In every ward, around 50,000 people stood in line to vote, and they are watching what is being said here on television.”

Addressing the seating controversy, Tawde said there was adequate space for all the corporators.

“The house is designed such that there has always been seating for 227 members, and there was no need for them to sit on the floor. I kept asking why they were sitting down when seats were available, and they should have taken them. Their intention was to create chaos and shut down the house through this kind of protest. I won’t allow it to happen, and will never allow it to happen,” she asserted.