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Maharashtra BMC Polls: BJP to Take Lead Role, Shiv Sena in Supporting Seat Share, NCP Eyes Key Wards
- by Webdesk
- 30 Sep 2025
Source: The Times Of India
MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to emerge as the dominant partner within the Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, particularly in terms of the number of seats it contests. This development comes after deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde emphasized that winning the elections was more important than the sheer number of seats contested. Political analysts interpret Shinde’s remarks as an indication that the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) may be willing to settle for fewer seats than the BJP.
In the recent electoral battles, Shinde was successful in securing a near-equal seat share with the BJP during the Lok Sabha polls, and only slightly fewer seats in the assembly elections within Mumbai. However, for the BMC polls, the scenario looks different. Reports suggest the BJP is aiming to contest more than 125 seats, while the Shiv Sena may have to accommodate itself with fewer than 100 seats. A limited number of seats will also be allotted to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Back in 2017, the BJP and Shiv Sena contested independently, with both parties fielding candidates in over 200 wards each. The political dynamics have shifted since then. Over the last three years, nearly 55 corporators—whose terms ended in 2022—have migrated to Shinde’s Sena faction from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. This movement has somewhat boosted Shinde’s standing in the city’s civic politics.
Shinde, during a meeting with branch chiefs (shakha pramukhs) on Sunday night, reaffirmed that the Mahayuti alliance is determined to see its mayor occupy the BMC. He stated that the seat-sharing formula would be based on “elective merit,” underscoring that only those wards where victory is nearly assured should be contested. According to him, the Mahayuti’s saffron flag will only fly high over the BMC if this principle is adhered to. “Taking seats only for numbers is not the right approach. Elective merit will guide our decisions,” Shinde remarked.
Observers point out that while Shinde’s words emphasize pragmatism, they also reveal a tacit acceptance that his party might end up contesting fewer seats compared to the BJP. “The Sena’s graph has already started to decline in Mumbai. Shinde managed to win only three out of six Lok Sabha seats in the city, and in the assembly polls, despite contesting 15 seats, his party managed to win just six. Going by this performance, the Sena is unlikely to secure more than 100 seats in the BMC polls,” a political analyst said.
Meanwhile, the BJP is in no mood to play second fiddle. Newly appointed BJP city unit chief Ameet Satam exuded confidence, claiming that the alliance could secure more than 150 seats in the BMC elections. Satam noted that while formal seat-sharing talks would begin only after the reservation lottery is finalized, the party’s ward-by-ward analysis had shown that the Mahayuti, led by the BJP, is strongly placed to take control of the country’s richest civic body.
“We are confident of securing 150-plus seats. Our assessment takes into account ground-level realities, past performance, and the organizational strength we have built. Although discussions on exact seat-sharing are yet to commence, it is logical to do so only after the reservation lottery is completed,” Satam explained. He further added that the BJP’s long-term vision is to give Mumbai the governance and civic improvements it deserves.
The political tug-of-war within the Mahayuti is shaping into an intriguing contest. While Shinde is trying to safeguard his faction’s political relevance by highlighting strategy over numbers, the BJP is pressing ahead with its ambition of becoming the undisputed leader in Mumbai’s civic politics. With the NCP also seeking a share of the pie, the seat-sharing talks will be crucial in determining not only the power balance within the Mahayuti but also the overall electoral outcome in the BMC polls.
As things stand, the BJP appears determined to play the “big brother” role, with the Sena expected to concede ground. The coming months will reveal whether pragmatism and alliance discipline prevail, or whether internal frictions alter the balance of power in the run-up to Mumbai’s most closely watched civic election.
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