The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its initial list of 66 contenders for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. This move marks the party’s entry into a significant contest for Asia’s wealthiest civic body. Key figures in the list include Tejasvee Ghosalkar, Ganesh Khankar, Manisha Yadav, Milind Shinde, and Akash Purohit, with Ghosalkar and Purohit having notable political backgrounds.
A notable inclusion is Ravi Raja, the former Leader of Opposition in the BMC, who switched from the Congress to the BJP. Raja’s candidacy in Ward No 185, Dharavi, is viewed as a direct challenge to the Congress stronghold in that area. The list also features Neil Somaiya (Ward 107), Makarand Narvekar (Ward 226), Harshita Narvekar (Ward 227), and Tejinder Singh Tiwana (Ward 47).
The BJP’s list release occurs amidst ongoing discussions with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde regarding seat-sharing. Despite being allies in the MahaYuti, both parties are yet to finalize the arrangement due to tough negotiations. The BJP aims to contest 150 seats, differing from the Shinde faction’s request for 100 seats, possibly settling on 140 seats for the BJP and 87 for Shinde’s group.
The upcoming 2026 elections in Mumbai present a changed political landscape. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are anticipated to jointly participate in the municipal polls after announcing an alliance. While the BJP and Shiv Sena are aligned, Ajit Pawar’s NCP plans to independently contest in Mumbai. Notably, the BJP has declined to ally with Ajit Pawar’s faction due to Nawab Malik, leading the NCP to field three Malik family members for the polls.
The State Election Commission has scheduled voting for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra on January 15, 2026, with results to be announced after counting on January 16, 2026.
