Mumbai BMC Election Result: Resort politics has returned to Mumbai a day after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election results, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde moving his party’s newly elected corporators to a hotel amid fears of poaching. The move comes as rival leader Uddhav Thackeray struck a defiant tone, declaring it his “dream” to see a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected despite losing control of India’s richest civic body.
Shinde Shifts Elected Representatives To Hotel
Soon after the BMC results, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena shifted its elected representatives to a five-star hotel in Bandra. Party leaders said the decision was a precautionary step, taken as the ruling Mahayuti alliance holds only a narrow edge over the majority mark.
The NDTV report cited Sources as stating that the move was aimed at preventing possible defections ahead of the mayoral election. With numbers close, even a small shift could alter the balance of power in the civic body.
ALSO READ: BMC Elections 2026: Which Are The Top 10 Richest Municipal Corporations Of India? Check Full List
What Is Behind The Hotel Move
The BMC has 227 wards, with the majority mark set at 114. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 29. Together, the alliance has 118 seats, just four above the halfway mark.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, which contested the polls separately, won three seats. Though outside the BJP-Sena combine, its presence adds another layer to post-poll calculations.
On the Opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and NCP (Sharad Pawar) together secured 72 seats. The Congress won 24 wards, AIMIM eight and the Samajwadi Party two. If all Opposition parties unite, their combined strength could rise to 106, only eight short of the majority mark.
This narrow gap has raised concerns within the ruling alliance about horse-trading or last-minute switches.
Mayor’s Post: A Key Factor
The NDTV report cited Sources as stating that Shinde’s move is also linked to bargaining over the mayor’s post. Despite being a junior partner, the Shinde camp wants a Shiv Sena corporator to become mayor, citing the party’s long association with the BMC.
Several corporators are reportedly pressuring Shinde not to compromise on the post, which the undivided Shiv Sena held for 25 years before losing control.
ALSO READ: Shiv Sena Hits Back At Sanjay Raut For 'Jaichand' Remark, Blames Him For Split
Thackeray Calls Loss ‘Moral Victory’
Addressing party workers in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray sought to frame the result as a morale boost rather than a defeat. He praised cadres for standing by the party despite limited resources and accused the BJP and its allies of winning through “betrayal”.
Thackeray alleged that Mumbai had been “mortgaged” to secure victory and said the Shiv Sena (UBT) remained rooted among the Marathi people. He insisted the party would continue to fight for its political space, including the mayor’s post.