Around 32 seats out of the 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are set for a direct contest between the BJP-Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine. The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) encountered challenges in finalizing candidates for 21 of the 62 seats assigned by the Congress in Mumbai.
Due to difficulties, the VBA decided to contest only five of the 21 seats, allowing the Congress to allocate tickets for the remaining 16 constituencies. The Congress has announced 143 candidates in Mumbai, with the VBA contesting 46 seats and other allies like Left parties and the Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) contesting six seats, making the Congress-led alliance present in 195 seats.
The absence of strong third-front candidates in 32 seats may work in favor of the Thackerays, preventing a split in the anti-BJP vote. Both the Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi denied reports of a rift within the alliance in Mumbai, emphasizing unity and coordination between the allies. The BMC elections on January 15 will witness the BJP, Shiv Sena, MNS, and NCP (SP) contesting various seats.
