Political leadership is set to return to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after a prolonged interval. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Ritu Tawde is set to become the new Mayor of Mumbai, while Sanjay Ghadi of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) will assume the post of Deputy Mayor.
In the Maharashtra context, names for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor following the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections have been finalised, with only formal procedures remaining. The BJP has selected Ritu Tawde for the Mayor’s post, and she is expected to file her nomination shortly. Ahead of the announcement, a religious ceremony was held at the BJP’s BMC office, where 10 priests chanted Vedic mantras and performed a conch-blowing ritual prior to the declaration of the mayoral nominee.
For the Deputy Mayor’s post, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) has nominated Sanjay Ghadi, who will file his nomination. According to sources, his tenure as Deputy Mayor will be for one and a quarter years, after which the position may change as per the coalition agreement.
Ritu Tawde is a three-time councillor from the Ghatkopar ward and has previously served as chairperson of the BMC’s Education Committee. She currently holds the post of Vice-President of the Maharashtra BJP Mahila Morcha. She joined the BJP in 2012 after leaving the Congress and has since remained active at both local and state levels.
Sanjay Ghadi, selected for the Deputy Mayor’s position, is an experienced councillor from Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction). He has served on several BMC committees and is regarded within the party as an organisational leader with experience in administrative matters.
The BMC elections were held on January 15, 2026. The Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), secured a clear majority. The BJP won approximately 89 seats, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) won 29 seats, and the alliance crossed 118 seats in the 227-member house, surpassing the majority mark of 114 seats.
Following this outcome, the BJP came into a position to stake a claim to the Mayor’s post for the first time. The last mayoral election in Mumbai was held in 2017. Subsequently, elections were deferred due to legal and administrative reasons, and for the past four years the BMC has been under the control of the Municipal Commissioner as administrator.
