BJP-Led Mahayuti Storms Mumbai’s Civic Fortress, Ends 25-Year Thackeray Reign
Historic victory as ruling alliance crosses majority mark in BMC elections, reshaping Maharashtra’s urban political landscape
MUMBAI, January 16, 2026 — In a decisive political shift that marks the end of an era, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has crossed the majority mark in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, leading in 118 seats out of the 227-member civic body, according to early trends from today’s vote counting.
The results represent a stunning breakthrough for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which appears poised to install Mumbai’s first BJP mayor in the city’s history. After 25 years, the Thackeray family’s control over the BMC has ended, with the rival alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS trailing significantly at 69 seats.
The Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, has secured what political analysts are calling a “thumping victory” in India’s wealthiest municipal corporation. The civic body manages an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,000 crore, overseeing everything from roads and hospitals to schools and public transport across the financial capital.
As of early afternoon, confirmed results showed the BJP securing 14 seats, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena won 4 seats. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) had won 8 seats, with the MNS yet to open its account. The Congress party has faced a particularly sharp decline, expecting to win only around 15 seats out of the 152 it contested.
The elections, held on January 15 with a voter turnout of 52.94 percent, saw approximately one crore people cast their votes across the newly redrawn 227 electoral wards. The counting, which began at 10 am today across 23 centers in Mumbai, is expected to conclude by late evening with final results.
For the Thackeray cousins—Uddhav and Raj—who reunited after two decades to contest on a “Marathi manoos” platform, the results represent a crushing defeat in what was once considered an impregnable Shiv Sena bastion. The high-stakes battle had been framed as a fight for survival for both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde celebrated the victory, declaring it reflected the strength of the “triple engine government.” The BJP leadership has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and the party’s growing acceptance across urban centers for the unprecedented mandate.
The electoral outcome extends beyond Mumbai, with the Mahayuti alliance performing strongly across Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations. In Pune, traditionally a Pawar stronghold, the BJP has made significant inroads, challenging the NCP’s dominance in that city as well.
With the majority mark set at 114 seats, the Mahayuti alliance’s commanding lead ensures it will control the BMC for the first time, marking a fundamental realignment of Mumbai’s civic politics and dealing a severe blow to the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.
