BMC polls results: BJP-Shiv Sena alliance ends Uddhav Thackeray’s hold over Mumbai

As the BJP-Shiv Sena harvester inched person to the winning fig successful the BMC predetermination connected Friday (January 16, 2026) night, it became wide that Uddhav Thackeray had mislaid power of the municipal corp for the archetypal time, having ruled it continuously for implicit 25 years.

From 84 seats successful the 2017 elections, his enactment Shiv Sena (UBT), formed 3 years ago, won 64 seats this time. Eknath Shinde, who is the claimant of the Shiv Sena now, got lone 27 seats successful Mumbai. The results amusement a consolidation of the Marathi ballot bank, aft the Thackerays trumped Eknath Shinde successful the halfway Marathi elector belts of Mumbai.

“This shows that successful Mumbai, the Shiv Sena belongs to Thackerays,” a elder governmental person said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) blamed Eknath Shinde for the defeat, claiming that the BJP would person ne'er been capable to spot its politician successful Mumbai, had it not been for Mr. Shinde.

“The Marathi colonisation volition retrieve Eknath Shinde arsenic ‘Jaichand’,” posted Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut connected Friday night. The station references the 12th-century king of the Gahadavala dynasty, ruling Kannauj and Varanasi, infamous successful fable arsenic a traitor for allegedly helping Muhammad of Ghor decision his rival, Prithviraj Chauhan.

Eknath Shinde had demanded that his enactment contention successful 100 of the 227 seats successful the BMC erstwhile discussing sharing of seats with the BJP. After pugnacious negotiations that lasted for a week, the enactment got to contention 90 seats.

Thackeray not routed

Though Uddhav Thackeray mislaid BMC, the results indicated that helium was not routed. If anything, helium proved to beryllium the contender for the Marathi ballot bank, and got the 2nd highest fig of seats aft the BJP.

Trends connected Friday showed that the BJP got 87 seats aft warring connected 137. Uddhav Mr. Thackeray’s enactment won 64.

When asked if the result would person been different, had the BJP fixed less seats to Eknath Shinde, a elder BJP person said, “It is hard to foretell that. It would person led to a communicative that the BJP was unjust to a Marathi party, the Marathi manoos. Shinde’s enactment would not person taken kindly to it. And it would person deed our canvass prospects. Had we fixed them less seats, it would person flared a sentiment that the BJP works against Marathis, and wants to manus implicit the metropolis to outsiders.”

He said that the consolidation of Konkani Muslims and lower-middle-class Marathis had benefited Uddhav Thackeray. “Anyway, the Marathi ballot slope got consolidated successful favour of the Thackerays. That is wherefore they could get truthful galore seats successful Mumbai. The fearfulness that BJP was anti-Marathi, was successfully instigated to immoderate grade successful the Marathi population,” helium said.

In the 2017 elections, the BJP had got 82 seats, its champion show successful BMC by leaps and bounds till then. The enactment had traditionally stayed distant from BMC till then, successful a tacit knowing with the Shiv Sena that the second would look aft Mumbai, portion the BJP volition look aft the remainder of the State.

The powerfulness equations changed rapidly successful Maharashtra aft 2019, starring to a divided successful the Shiv Sena and pitching Uddhav Thackeray successful staunch absorption of the BJP.

This time, the BJP has bettered its champion show successful BMC, with an oculus connected ‘Shat Pratishat BJP’ successful the 2029 elections. Of the 36 MLAs successful Mumbai, the BJP has 15.

But the Shiv Sena’s mediocre onslaught complaint successful Mumbai, compared to that of the Shiv Sena (UBT), showed who the metropolis thought was the existent Shiv Sena.

A elder BJP person said that though the Marathi ballot slope had consolidated successful favour of the Thackerays, the BJP besides did not suffer its halfway Marathi ballot bank. “So the non-Marathi ballot slope got consolidated successful favour of the BJP. And our halfway Marathi voters excessively voted for us. This showed america victory,” a person analysed.