Mumbai mayor election highlights: Uddhav says Shiv Sena (UBT) not just a party but an idea, BJP can't finish it

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Mumbai mayor election live updates: Mumbai mayor is likely to be announced on January 28 or 29, according to the people familiar with the process.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday highlighted the open buying and selling of leaders in Maharashtra politics, describing it as a "market of slaves" where the power of money dominates.

Raut alleged that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is behaving like a feudal lord who believes he can auction loyalty.

Raut further asserted Ajit Pawar would eventually have to exit the present state government. "One cannot keep a foot in two boats," Raut said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "Shiv Sena is not just a political party, and the BJP cannot finish it off.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Mahayuti allies swept the Maharashtra civic elections, winning 25 of 29 municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Mumbai mayor election live updates: The lottery decides the category under which the mayor’s post will be reserved, including for general, women, SC, ST or OBC. After the category is announced, eligible candidates submit their nominations.

As per the lottery outcome, Mumbai’s next mayor will be a woman from the general category.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: The formal process for electing the mayor can begin only once the lottery is completed.

After the reservation is declared, a special session of the BMC house is called to inform members about the mayoral election timetable.

Usually, a seven-day period is given after this notice, which means the election is expected to take place around January 28 or 29.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: According to the draw, mayoral posts in Ichalkaranji, Ahilyanagar, Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Akola, Panvel and Ulhasnagar have been reserved for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Of these, Chandrapur, Ichalkaranji, Akola and Jalgaon will have women mayors from the OBC category.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday mocked the internal BJP and Shinde faction dynamics, saying, “Their factionalism will continue till the installation ceremony. Shinde is sitting upset...” ANI quoted Raut as saying.

Speaking on the recently concluded Municipal Corporation polls, Raut also alleged that corporators elected on their party tickets are being lured to switch sides by the ruling party.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Next month, the standing committee will present the BMC budget for the first time in three years. From 2022 to 2025, it was presented by the municipal commissioner, who acted as the administrator and reported directly to the state government in the absence of an elected body.

The budget will then be taken up for discussion in the general body, after which the civic budget for 2026-27 is expected to be cleared by February 28, HT reported earlier.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Minister of State for Urban Development, Madhuri Misal, struck down the objections, saying, “The objections have no substance, and a noise is being made as the reservation is not convenient to them.

She also said that the reservations were held as per the rules framed in 2006. "It was done in front of the media and representatives of the political parties, and the entire exercise has been live-streamed,” she said.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: The draw was held in the state secretariat, Mantralaya, on Thursday, at a meeting chaired by the Minister of State for Urban Development, Madhuri Misal.

Reservations in various categories are based on the proportion of scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBCs) in the 29 municipal corporations, according to the 2011 census. Also, the law mandates 50% reservation for women across all quotas.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar and Bhiwandi-Nizampur will have mayors from the general category, with the first three reserved for women.

The Kalyan-Dombivali mayoral post is reserved for an ST candidate, while Thane and Panvel will have mayors from the SC and OBC categories, respectively.

Jalgaon, Chandrapur and Ahilyanagar will have women mayors from the OBC category.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Congress on Saturday resolved an internal dispute linked to the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation (CMC) in Maharashtra after a high-level meeting of party leaders, PTI reported.

The meeting was held after 13 Congress corporators, out of the party's 27 elected members in the Chandrapur civic body, registered themselves as a group. This happened amid a tussle between state legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and the party's local MP Pratibha Dhanorkar.

These 13 corporators owed allegiance to Dhanorkar. Later, the remaining 14 corporators supporting Wadettiwar reached the venue and objected to the registration.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Mumbai’s next mayor is set to be a woman from the General category, as per a lottery held on Thursday, amid opposition allegations that the procedure was “fixed” to suit the ruling party.

The key contenders for the mayor’s post are Alka Kerkar, a three-term corporator and former deputy mayor and Rajashree Shirwadkar, also a three-term corporator and a former member of the Standing Committee.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Days after facing defeat in the Mumbai civic body polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has said that the BJP was mistaken if it thought it could finish his party, which was not just a political entity but an idea, PTI reported.

"The BJP is wrong if it thinks it can finish Shiv Sena (UBT). The Shiv Sena (UBT) is not a party but an idea," Uddhav said.

Addressing party workers on Friday, Uddhav said many people are trying to erase the Thackeray name, but it won't happen.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday claimed that the two factions of the NCP will come together and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, stating that his heart is with his family.

“Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar will come together as part of the MVA,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Ajit Pawar joined the then Eknath Shinde government along with eight MLAs back in July 2024, resulting in a split in the NCP.

Mumbai mayor election live updates: The mayor’s post in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been reserved for a woman from the general category, after a lottery draw held by the Maharashtra government.

Several senior women leaders are contesting for the role. They include BJP women’s wing vice-president Varsha Tapkir, Manjusha Nagpure, who was chosen without opposition, Ranjana Tilekar, the mother of MLA Yogesh Tilekar, Manasi Deshpande, and Swarda Bapat, the daughter-in-law of the late Girish Bapat.

Mumbai mayor election live: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday remarked that the politics in the state had become a “marketplace of slaves” amid the tussle for various posts after the recent civic body polls.

"Politics in Maharashtra has become a marketplace of slaves. What happened in Kalyan-Dombivli was disgusting. Where is it going?" Raj said.

Mumbai mayor election live: Once the mayoral post category is declared, a special session of the BMC house will be convened to notify members of the mayoral election schedule.

Typically, a seven-day window is provided after this notification, which means the election is expected to take place around January 28 or 29.

According to the lottery results, a woman candidate from the open category is set to assume the mayor's chair in Mumbai.

Mumbai mayor election live: In line with a long-standing practice of the BMC, the mayor’s term in Mumbai is divided into two equal parts.

The elected mayor serves for 2.5 years, after which a fresh election is held for the remaining term. This system was also followed in the previous BMC term.

In 2017, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar served as mayor for 2.5 years until November 2019. He was succeeded by Kishori Pednekar, who held the post until 2022.

Mumbai mayor election live: Unlike most elections, the mayoral election in Mumbai is held through an open voting process and not by secret ballot. A former senior corporator told HT that the entire procedure is conducted transparently, with all 227 corporators publicly declaring their votes. The proceedings are also videographed to ensure accountability.

Once voting is completed and the votes are counted, the mayor is formally declared elected. The same open procedure is then followed for the election of the deputy mayor.

After the mayor’s election, the ruling party submits the names of its leader and group leader in the House to the mayor, while the opposition formally submits the name of the leader of the Opposition.

Mumbai mayor election live: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday alleged that large amounts of money were used during the polls and claimed he had received several complaints of envelopes being slid under doors to influence voters.

“The battle in the BMC was fought well. Many in the country said we fought well. An aura was created that we would be wiped out. But they were stopped. They (BJP-Sena alliance) want to swallow Maharashtra. A lot of money was used in the BMC polls. I have many complaints of how envelopes were slid under doors. Attempts can be made to buy votes, not minds,” Thackeray said while speaking at Shanmukhananda Hall.

Mumbai mayor election live: Mumbai is set to get a woman mayor after the reservation lottery held on Thursday determined that the top post will go to a woman from the general category.

Among the leading contenders for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor’s post are Alka Kerkar, a three-term corporator and former deputy mayor, and Rajashree Shirwadkar, also a three-term corporator and a former member of the Standing Committee.

Mumbai mayor election live: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday commented on the evolving political equations involving Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, claiming the two appeared to be moving closer.

"Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar seem to be coming together. Candidates from both are fighting under the same election symbol. Sharad Pawar will join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar is with us. Action will be taken against Ajit Pawar. He will have to leave the government, you can't have the feet in two boats," Raut said, reported ANI news agency.

Mumbai mayor election live: According to the reservation lottery, mayoral posts in Ichalkaranji, Ahilyanagar, Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Akola, Panvel, and Ulhasnagar have been reserved for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Among these, Chandrapur, Ichalkaranji, Akola, and Jalgaon will specifically have women mayors from the OBC category.

Mumbai mayor election live: Even after winning a record 89 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the highest for any single party since the 2002 civic polls, the BJP’s state leadership is reportedly “unhappy” with the outcome.

Sources described the performance as “below expectations,” HT reported earlier.

Although BJP emerged as the single-largest party in Mumbai, its tally fell short of a majority on its own, raising concerns within the party. Ahead of seat-sharing talks, BJP had initially planned to contest over 155 seats and aimed for 120–125 wins. However, after intervention by the central leadership, Eknath Shinde negotiated aggressively, securing 91 seats for his party and leaving BJP with 137 seats to contest.

With the reduced share, BJP revised its target to 110 seats but ultimately managed 89, fueling dissatisfaction despite its historic tally.

Mumbai mayor election live: Replying to claims of rigging in the mayoral reservation lottery, Madhuri Misal, minister of state for the urban development department who led the draw, said the government had taken note of objections but dismissed the Sena (UBT)’s allegations as baseless.

She added that the party was seeking a reservation convenient to its own interests, and emphasised that the entire process had been conducted strictly according to the rules.