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BMC Poll Prep: CM Eknath Shinde to Head Inaugural Meeting of Key 21-Member Committee
- by Webdesk
- 13 Nov 2025
Source: mid-day
Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is set to chair the first meeting of the 21-member committee established to oversee preparations for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The crucial session will take place in Mumbai on Thursday, November 13, marking the beginning of Shinde’s strategic groundwork for the civic polls.
The meeting comes at a politically charged moment, with renewed discussions about a potential reunion between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray gaining traction in Maharashtra’s political circles. If the two Thackerays join forces, such an alliance could significantly consolidate Marathi-speaking voters, creating a formidable challenge for Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena in the race for control of the country’s wealthiest civic body.
To reinforce his party’s organizational strength before the elections, Shinde recently announced the creation of this high-level committee, bringing together a mix of Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), Mumbai MLAs, senior leaders, deputy leaders, spokespersons, and other key local figures.
A senior leader from Shinde’s camp explained that the panel’s main responsibility will be to evaluate ground-level support, enhance voter outreach, and finalize a comprehensive election strategy for the party. The leader also hinted that discussions regarding seat-sharing with ally BJP may take place during the meeting.
“Although no formal seat-sharing meeting has been held so far, our party intends to negotiate for at least 100 of the 227 wards in the upcoming BMC elections,” the leader said, emphasizing the party’s readiness to assert its presence in Mumbai’s civic politics.
As per the Supreme Court’s directive, the BMC polls, along with elections for 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra, must be conducted before January 31, 2026. The court has instructed the State Election Commission to ensure all pending local body elections are completed within the given timeframe.
In the 2017 BMC elections, the then undivided Shiv Sena had managed to secure 84 seats, narrowly surpassing the BJP’s 82 seats. Both saffron allies, who had shared power in the civic body for nearly two and a half decades, had parted ways just before those elections and contested independently. However, the 2022 split within the Shiv Sena, engineered by Shinde, dramatically reshaped Mumbai’s political scenario. More than half of Uddhav Thackeray’s corporators subsequently switched allegiance to the Shinde-led faction, altering the city’s political equations.
Now, both Shinde’s Sena and the BJP are gearing up for a fierce battle to take control of Asia’s richest municipal corporation, which has an annual budget larger than several Indian states. While the BJP has set a target of “Mission 150-plus”, signaling its intent to achieve a decisive majority, Shinde’s camp is equally determined to seize control of the BMC from the Thackeray-led faction and assert its dominance in Mumbai’s political heartland.
According to political observers, the upcoming meeting is expected to lay the foundation for campaign strategy, focusing on key constituencies, resource allocation, and leadership assignments across Mumbai’s 24 administrative wards. The committee will also assess grassroots connectivity and public perception of the Shinde government’s initiatives in the city.
In addition, discussions are likely to include coordination with the BJP on candidate selection, campaign branding, and outreach programs aimed at youth and first-time voters. Party insiders suggest that the Shinde Sena may also launch a new “Mumbai First” campaign, highlighting civic infrastructure projects and urban development under the current government’s leadership.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will travel to Nashik on Thursday to inaugurate a series of development projects approved in preparation for the 2027 Kumbh Mela. During his visit, he will also lay the foundation stone for several key infrastructure works and open the newly constructed Zilla Parishad building, marking another milestone in the state’s development roadmap.
The simultaneous focus on election strategy in Mumbai and development initiatives in Nashik underscores the government’s dual approach — consolidating administrative credibility while strengthening its political base across urban and semi-urban Maharashtra.
With the BMC election expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in the state, the outcome will not only determine control of Mumbai’s civic administration but will also serve as a litmus test for the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
For now, all eyes are on Thursday’s meeting, where Eknath Shinde’s leadership and strategy could define the next phase of the battle for Mumbai, setting the tone for one of Maharashtra’s most high-stakes political contests in recent years.
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