BJP's Ritu Tawde Elected As Mumbai Mayor, Ending 4-Year-Long Administrative Rule; Shinde Sena's Sanjay Ghadi Becomes Deputy

Mumbai: In a historic shift for India’s richest civic body, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ritu Tawde was officially elected as the Mayor of Mumbai on Wednesday. Her taking 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.

The Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani formally declared BJP corporator Ritu Tawde as the unopposed Mayor of Mumbai after Shiv Sena UBT chose not to field a candidate against her. In a similar development, Shinde Sena’s Sanjay Ghadi was announced as the Deputy Mayor without contest. The last BJP leader to hold the post was Dr Prabhakar Pai in 1982-83.

The duo filed their nominations earlier, following the Mahayuti alliance’s decisive performance in the recent civic polls, where the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Shinde Sena secured 29.

Who Is Ritu Tawde?

Tawde, a two-term corporator from Ward 132 in Ghatkopar, is a seasoned face in Mumbai politics. Having previously served as the Chairperson of the BMC Education Committee, she is credited with deep knowledge of civic issues. Though she began her political career with the Congress, she joined the BJP in 2012 and has since become one of the party’s most prominent Marathi faces.

BMC Elections Results

In the BMC elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 89 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena secured 29. Together, the ruling alliance has 118 corporators, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 114.

Shiv Sena UBT, which had controlled the civic body for more than two decades, won 65 seats. The Congress followed with 24 seats. AIMIM secured eight seats, the MNS won six, while the NCP factions were split, with the Sharad Pawar group winning one seat and the Ajit Pawar faction securing three. The Samajwadi Party won two seats and two Independents were also elected.

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