BJP Set To Reclaim Mumbai Mayor’s Post After 44 Years As Ritu Tawde Takes Charge
Three-term corporator from Ghatkopar poised to become BMC’s 77th mayor, ending Shiv Sena’s nearly three-decade control of India’s richest civic body
Mumbai, February 11, 2026 – The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to control Mumbai’s civic administration for the first time in over four decades, with corporator Ritu Tawde positioned to assume the mayor’s office unopposed following elections at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters today.
The 53-year-old Ward 132 representative from Ghatkopar will become the city’s 77th mayor and only the second BJP leader to hold the position, following Dr. Prabhakar Pai who served from 1982 to 1983. Her election marks the conclusion of Shiv Sena’s uninterrupted control since 1997 over India’s wealthiest municipal corporation.
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has nominated Sanjay Shankar Ghadi, corporator from Ward 5, for the deputy mayor position as part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s power-sharing arrangement. Ghadi will serve a 15-month term, with plans for rotation among Shiv Sena corporators.
The mayoral election at the BMC Fort headquarters will also formally end nearly four years of administrative rule – the longest period in the corporation’s 150-year history. State-appointed administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal ran the civic body from March 2022 until Bhushan Gagrani succeeded him in March 2024.
Tawde’s ascent follows the Mahayuti alliance’s decisive performance in civic elections held January 15. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member corporation, while Shiv Sena secured 29 seats. Combined with four NCP corporators, the alliance commands 122 seats – well beyond the majority threshold of 114.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance trails significantly, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 65 seats, Congress claiming 24, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) securing just one. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won six seats.
Political observers note Tawde represents a strategic choice for the BJP. Despite belonging to the Maratha community, she has won three consecutive terms from a constituency dominated by Gujarati voters – first from Ward 127 in 2012, Ward 121 in 2017, and most recently Ward 132 in the 2026 elections.
A former Congress member who switched to BJP in 2012, Tawde previously chaired the BMC Education Committee and currently serves as vice president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Mahila Morcha. Party officials describe her as maintaining strong grassroots connections and effectively addressing civic grievances.
The mayor’s post was reserved for a woman candidate from the open category through a lottery system. Shiv Sena (UBT) opted not to field a challenger, ensuring Tawde’s unopposed election.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar are expected to attend the election proceedings. This will mark Sunetra Pawar’s first visit to BMC headquarters since becoming the state’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister.
The change in civic leadership carries significant implications for Mumbai’s urban governance. The BMC, with an annual budget exceeding ₹50,000 crore, oversees infrastructure development, public health, education, and essential services for India’s financial capital.
With elected representatives returning to power, the city’s 26 administrative wards and 227 corporators will resume their roles on statutory committees governing infrastructure policy, urban planning, and local development initiatives.
The transition represents a major political shift in Maharashtra’s landscape, positioning the BJP as the dominant force in civic governance after years of Shiv Sena control over Mumbai’s municipal administration.
