MUMBAI: In a closely fought contest for Asia’s richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the BJP, aided by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has wrested control from the Thackeray camp, dealing a setback to cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who had joined hands to defend their traditional stronghold.
For decades, the BMC had been synonymous with the Thackeray family. Balasaheb Thackeray and later his son Uddhav Thackeray ruled the civic body for nearly 35 years, making their influence deeply entrenched in Mumbai’s political and civic life. This time, however, the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena managed to loosen that grip in a hard-fought election.
The BJP is now set to form the BMC administration with the support of the Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Even so, despite a sharp drop from its earlier dominance, Uddhav Thackeray remains a significant political force in Mumbai.
From the moment the BMC elections were announced, the BJP appeared better placed, with power in Maharashtra and at the Centre, and far greater organisational and financial resources. The key question was whether Uddhav and his cousin Raj Thackeray could limit losses by consolidating Marathi votes and holding their ground.
Shiv Sena (UBT) did manage to perform strongly in several Marathi-dominated areas, defeating candidates of the Shinde Sena in key pockets. Among the prominent defeats were the daughter of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar and the son of Sena leader Sada Sarvankar, both of whom lost in what were considered their bastions. This indicated that a significant section of the Marathi manoos backed Uddhav over Shinde in a tight contest.
However, Uddhav Thackeray failed to expand his voter base beyond these pockets. The BJP successfully consolidated a large share of non-Marathi votes amid a polarised Marathi versus non-Marathi campaign, giving it a decisive edge.
Uddhav’s decision to align with Raj Thackeray, aimed at uniting Marathi voters, proved counter-productive. Raj’s sharp rhetoric in the past against North Indians and Muslims limited broader appeal. While Raj helped consolidate some Marathi votes in favour of Shiv Sena (UBT), his own party, the MNS, failed to convert this into seats due to its weak organisational network and limited campaign presence. The poor MNS showing also prevented the Thackeray camp from nearing the majority mark of 114 seats in the 227-member BMC.
Muslim voters, who had backed Shiv Sena (UBT) in the last Lok Sabha elections, helped the party win three out of six seats, while losing one by a narrow margin of 34 votes. The Congress won one seat, leaving the BJP with just one seat in the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency, won by Piyush Goyal. However, minority votes were split among multiple parties, including the Congress, AIMIM, Samajwadi Party, NCP and NCP (SP), reducing their overall impact for Uddhav.
On the other side, the BJP carefully consolidated non-Marathi voters and, with the help of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also made inroads into the Marathi vote base. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis projected himself as a development-focused leader with a strong Hindutva plank, further attracting Marathi voters.
Political observers say the Thackeray brothers also lost valuable time. Their joint campaign began late, with shakha visits and only one major rally held close to polling day, by which time the BJP was already on course for a majority.
Uddhav Thackeray’s shifting political strategy also confused voters. After aligning with the Congress and NCP in the Lok Sabha polls and moving away from a strong Hindutva line, he later relied almost entirely on his brother for the civic polls. This shift cost him a sizeable section of minority votes, a factor that ultimately proved decisive in the BMC outcome.