Mumbai: Seat-sharing negotiations ahead of the 2026 municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, are entering a decisive phase, even as sharp differences persist within both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). A series of closed-door meetings have been underway over the past several days as political parties attempt to finalise formulas for 29 municipal corporations across the state, with Mumbai emerging as the most contentious battleground.
BJP–Shinde Sena Near Agreement as NCP Likely to Contest Alone in Mumbai
According to sources, the BJP is close to sealing a deal with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Mumbai by offering around 87 to 90 seats to its ally, while contesting close to 140 seats itself out of the BMC’s total strength of 227 corporators. According to sources, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is expected to stay out of the Mahayuti alliance in Mumbai and contest the civic polls independently, even as it remains part of the ruling coalition at the state level. If this formula is finalised, the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena together will contest all 227 seats in the country’s richest civic body.
Sources said the Mahayuti’s Mumbai formula is now “almost final”, though an official announcement is still awaited. Political circles are keenly watching when the alliance will formally seal the agreement, given the symbolic and strategic importance of the BMC elections.
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The road to this near-consensus has, however, been far from smooth. In the first round of seat-sharing talks, the BJP had reportedly offered only 52 seats to the Shinde camp in Mumbai. Following the announcement of the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance, the BJP revised its offer to around 65 seats. Despite this, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena remained firm on its demand for more than 100 seats, claiming it should get at least 50 per cent of the BMC constituencies. This insistence prolonged the deadlock and intensified negotiations within the Mahayuti.
BJP Pushback Based on Voter Base and Candidate Selection Concerns
The dispute has its roots in the 2017 BMC elections, when the undivided Shiv Sena had emerged as the single largest party with 84 seats, while the BJP closely followed with 82. After the split in the Shiv Sena, as many as 46 corporators joined the Eknath Shinde-led faction. Riding on this strength, Shinde has been staking a claim on all 84 seats won by the Sena in 2017. The BJP, however, has pushed back, arguing that its voter base has grown substantially in several of these wards and raising concerns over candidate selection. BJP leaders maintain that electoral arithmetic and ground-level feedback do not justify conceding all these seats to their ally.
Shinde, on the other hand, has remained adamant, arguing that many of the seats were won in 2017 by Marathi candidates and that his party, which claims to represent the “original” Shiv Sena, stands a strong chance of retaining them. Adding to his pressure is the internal compulsion within his party. According to Shiv Sena sources, several former corporators from the Congress and NCP, apart from those aligned with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), have joined the Shinde camp after the split. Shinde is said to have promised tickets to many of them, making it politically difficult for him to scale down his demands. This has reinforced his insistence on securing over 100 seats in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the BJP has adopted a cautious “wait and watch” approach and has not announced a single candidate for the BMC polls so far, with party insiders saying the strategy is aimed at preventing rebellion until seat-sharing talks are fully concluded. Seat-sharing negotiations remain unresolved not just in Mumbai, but also in other key urban centres such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander and Panvel. Sources indicated that clarity on these corporations is expected by Monday.
UBT–MNS Alliance Nears Finalisation of Mumbai Seat Formula
On the Opposition side, the recently announced alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has moved into the final stages of seat-sharing talks. According to Sena (UBT) functionaries, the proposed formula gives around 150 seats to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party in Mumbai, while the MNS is likely to contest 60 to 65 seats. Around 10 to 12 seats may be allotted to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
A key breakthrough in the UBT–MNS talks has come in the form of a settlement over the long-standing tussle for wards in central Mumbai. Sources said consensus has been reached on Ward No. 192 (Dadar) and Ward No. 194 (Prabhadevi). Under the agreement, Ward 192 will go to the MNS, while Ward 194 has been retained by the Shiv Sena (UBT). MNS leader Yashwant Killedar is expected to contest from Ward 192, a decision that has triggered visible discontent among Sena (UBT) workers in Dadar. Former corporator Prakash Patankar, along with party workers, is scheduled to meet Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree to convey their displeasure.
In Ward 194, where sitting corporator Sada Sarvankar represents the Shiv Sena, the UBT camp has already begun groundwork to counter him. Names of Shekhar Bhagat and Kailas Patil are being discussed as potential UBT candidates, with both aspirants having started their campaigns in the area.
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