BJP names Ritu Tawde as Mumbai mayor candidate, Shiv Sena picks Sanjay Ghadi for deputy mayor post

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post.

BJP leader Amit Satam declared Tawade's name, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Ghadi's candidature at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.

Tawade is a corporator from Ward 132, while Ghadi was elected from Ward 5 in the January 15 civic election.

Ghadi will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, Shiv Sena secretary Sanjay More has said in a statement.

He was one of the senior former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators who switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

By splitting the deputy mayor's term in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena intends to give an opportunity to four of its corporators.

In the polls to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The ruling alliance, with a combined strength of 118 corporators, is past the halfway mark of 114 and is well placed to secure the mayor's post.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which ruled the civic body for 25 years since 1997, won 65 seats, while its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), won six and one seat, respectively.

Among other parties, the Congress won 24 seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) 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.