BJP’s Ritu Tawde to be Mumbai Mayor as Thackeray-era grip over BMC ends after 25 years

Mumbai: BJP’s Ritu Tawde is set to be the new Mayor of Mumbai — presiding over the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest and one of the biggest civic bodies in India.

She would be BJP’s second Mayor of Mumbai and the first woman from the saffron party to occupy the post.

This is also for the first time in quarter of a century that Mumbai will not have a Mayor from the undivided Shiv Sena led by the Thackeray family.

This time, the Mumbai Mayor's post was reserved for woman from general category.

From the Maha Yuti, the BJP nominated Tawde for the post of Mayor while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena fielded Sanjay Shankar Ghadi as the Deputy Mayor.

In the 227-member House, where the magic figure is 114, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats. Its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, won 29 seats, taking the Maha Yuti tally to 118, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP secured three seats.

On the Opposition side, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats. Its allies — the Raj Thackeray-led MNS (six) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) (one) — take the Opposition bloc’s strength to 72. The Congress, which contested independently, won 24 seats.

The Thackeray Sena decided not to field their election is a formality.

“Since the BJP has given opportunity to a Marathi for become Mumbai’s Mayor, we will not give our candidate…we will work as a strong opposition,” said former Mayor Kishori Pednekar, who is now the group leader of Shiv Sena.

The opposition parties, however, pointed out the Congress past of the new Mayor.

NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said: “BJP has chosen a former Congress leader as their Mayor for Mumbai. This is an insult to all faithful, loyal and experienced BJP corporators who have given their blood, sweat and tears for BJP. Is this BJP's message to their workers that being faithful and loyal is not valued?”