BJP's Ritu Tawde Takes Oath As Mayor Of Mumbai; Pledges Action On Pollution, Illegal Bangladeshi Infiltration & More – WATCH

Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ritu Tawde on Wednesday, February 11, took oath as the Mayor of Mumbai. The corporator from Ghatkopar took over the civic body marks a monumental political transition, ending the 25-year dominance of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and returning a BJP leader to the city's highest ceremonial post after 44 years.

Calling it a moment of 'great honour and responsibility', Tawde in her address said that her priority would be to keep the city clean and safe. She said that she would determine to create an effective plan for women's empowerment, employment, care for senior citizens, as well as the poor and needy.

In her address, Tawde also said she will serve as a dedicated “sevak” of Mumbai and announce plans to focus on healthcare and education, including efforts to establish a new medical college in the suburbs and upgrade Rajawadi Hospital with advanced facilities similar to AIIMS.

Moreover, in her address, the Mayor also said her first meeting with the administration will address the issue of illegal Bangladeshi infiltration in Mumbai. She further pledged action to control the rising pollution in the city.

While taking a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, Tawde claimed that several development projects had stalled during his tenure as chief minister, adding that under the current “triple-engine” government led by Devendra Fadnavis, development work has regained momentum.

Her oath-taking came just moments after the Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani formally declared Tawde as the unopposed Mayor of Mumbai after Shiv Sena UBT chose not to field a candidate against her.

All You Need To Know About Ritu Tawde

Tawde is a two-term corporator from Ward 132 in Ghatkopar, an area with a sizeable Gujarati voter base. Despite belonging to the Maratha community, she has managed to win support across communities in the ward, a factor party leaders say reflects her accessibility and consistent local presence. She began her political career in the Congress and joined the BJP in 2012, and has since become one of the party’s most prominent Marathi faces.

In the polls to the 227-member BMC, 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 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 was serving as the state government-appointed administrator since March 7, 2022, following the end of the previous term.

(With inputs from Nirmeeti Patole)

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