MUMBAI: Mumbai’s municipal elections have brought several wealthy candidates into the spotlight, with many crorepati corporators now set to take key positions in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.The richest include Makarand Suresh Narvekar (BJP) with Rs 124 crore, Harshita Ashwin Narvekar (BJP) Rs 63.6 crore, Meenal Sanjay Turde (Shiv Sena) Rs 56 crore, Tulip Brian Miranda (Congress) Rs 51 crore, Anita Nandkumar Vaity (BJP) Rs 29 crore, Yashodhar Phanse (Shiv Sena UBT) Rs 25.9 crore, and Bhaskar Rama Shetty (Shiv Sena) Rs 25.4 crore.After nearly three decades at the helm of the BMC, the Thackerays have lost control of their last stronghold to the Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP and former ally-turned-rival Eknath Shinde, who split the Shiv Sena three-and-a-half years ago.On Friday, Mahayuti crossed the halfway mark in the 227-member House, but only narrowly. The BJP won 89 seats, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena secured 29, giving the alliance a slim lead. This means the BJP will need the support of Shinde’s Sena for major decisions.The Uddhav-Raj Thackeray combine won 71 seats, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena taking 65 and Raj Thackeray’s MNS winning 6, retaining much of the city’s Marathi heartland. However, the same alliance performed poorly in neighbouring urban areas, including Thane and Navi Mumbai.The Congress, which contested without its MVA allies—Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP—managed 24 seats, down from 31 in 2017. Asaduddin Owaisi’s MIM made notable gains, increasing its tally from 2 to 8 seats and defeating the Samajwadi Party in wards with significant minority populations.In terms of vote share, BJP led with 21.6%, followed by Sena (UBT) at 13.2%, Shinde’s Sena at 5%, and Congress at 4.4%. Analysts say voters responded to the appeal of a ‘triple-engine sarkar’—with BJP in power at the Centre, state, and city—and its ability to deliver results efficiently. BJP’s Hindutva and development-focused campaign appeared to resonate more with voters than the Thackeray alliance’s emphasis on Marathi identity.BJP MLA and Speaker Rahul Narwekar stated that the mayor will be from the BJP. Shinde, however, said, “More than power and the post of mayor, we are interested in making a difference in the lives of Mumbaikars.”
