Ritu Tawde set to become Mumbai mayor

BJP’s Ritu Tawde is all set to become the mayor of Mumbai and the party’s first in four decades after Shiv Sena (UBT) decided against fielding a challenger, making the contest unopposed and ending the Thackeray family’s 25-year dominance over the richest civic body.

Though largely ceremonial, the mayor’s post carries enormous political and symbolic significance in Mumbai’s identity-driven politics. Tawde’s elevation marks the BJP’s return to the post after 44 years, the last being Prabhakar Pai in 1982-83. On the final day of filing nominations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a BJP ally in the ruling Mahayuti, named Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for deputy mayor. The party announced that the deputy mayor’s term would be split, allowing four or more corporators to serve during the tenure. Tawde’s elevation means the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will not be able to occupy the mayor’s post after 25 years. The undivided party controlled the BMC from 1997 to 2022. The Mumbai mayoral election is scheduled for February 11, which is the last day to withdraw the nominations.  Tawde and Ghadi filed their nominations at the municipal secretary’s office in the presence of Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ameet Satam, former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, and other leaders of Mahayuti.

A senior BMC official told PTI that they have received just one nomination from BJP’s Tawde for the mayor’s post and another from Ghadi for the deputy mayor’s post before the 6 PM deadline for filing nominations.

Although opposition parties have not filed nominations, the mayoral election process will be completed as per procedure on February 11. According to a draw of lots by the Urban Development Department, the Mumbai mayor’s post became reserved for a woman candidate from the open category. Tawde, a corporator from suburban Ghatkopar, told media persons that a safer and developed Mumbai is her vision. She wanted to work for the citizens of Mumbai, which is a cosmopolitan city.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) was expected to file a nomination against the BJP candidate but decided against it after a meeting was convened at Thackeray’s residence.  Former Mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader in the BMC, Kishori Pednekar, described the development as a victory of Marathi manoos.  “The BJP had to accept that Marathi manoos is a Hindu.

If the mayor of Mumbai is a Marathi manoos, we won’t do anything that amounts to a bad omen. Our victory in the elections was for Marathi manoos. We have accepted the arithmetic and will play the role of a strong opposition and fight for Mumbai,” she said, adding that we are committed to whatever is good for Mumbai.

The Sena (UBT) had raised the emotive “Marathi identity” plank in last month’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, where the party had allied with MNS. However, the BJP and Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, emerged victorious. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 227-member BMC by bagging 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The ruling alliance, with a combined strength of 118 corporators, is well past the halfway mark of 114 and is well-placed to secure the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.  In the Opposition camp, the Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats, while its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) won six and one seat, respectively.

Ritu Tawde, who was earlier with the Congress, joined the BJP in 2012 and was elected as a corporator the same year.

During her first term as a member of the BMC, she chaired the Education Committee and was actively involved in raising issues related to local infrastructure, water supply, and public safety.

The corporator from Ghatkopar East (ward 132) was in the limelight during her last tenure for raising the issue of objectionable clothes on mannequins in shops.

Ghadi, a Shiv Sena corporator from Ward number 5, will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, party secretary Sanjay More said.

He had defected from Sena (UBT) to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, BJP’s Satam said Mumbai is set to get a BJP mayor after 44 years.

BJP’s Prabhakar Pai had served as the city mayor in 1982-83.

Satam said the ruling Mahayuti would work to free the BMC from the clutches of corruption.

“Everyone has the freedom to file nomination papers. We have the backing of 118 corporators and the support of more members,” he said.

He said the Mahayuti had asserted from day one that Mumbai’s mayor would be a Marathi and a Hindu, pointing out that the city will now get “a Marathi, Malvani, Konkani and Hindu mayor”.

Satam said the Shiv Sena may have kept the deputy mayor’s tenure for 15 months to give opportunities to more party workers.

Reacting to Tawde’s nomination, the NCP (SP) said picking a Congress turncoat as the mayor of Mumbai was an insult to the BJP’s loyal and experienced corporators.

NCP (SP) spokesperson and secretary Clyde Crasto said the decision has sent a wrong message to BJP workers, who toiled for years to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

“By choosing a former Congresswoman as mayor, the BJP has insulted its own faithful and loyal corporators who have given their blood, sweat and tears for the party,” he said in a statement.

In the January 15 Mumbai civic elections, the Congress won 24 seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP, led by the late Ajit Pawar, three, and the Samajwadi Party two. Two Independent candidates also won in the high-stakes election, held after a nine-year gap.

The BMC commissioner has been serving as the state Government-appointed administrator since March 7, 2022, following the end of the previous term.

The BMC is the country’s richest civic body, with its budget for the 2025-26 pegged at Rs 74,450 crore, which is higher than that of some smaller states.