Mumbai Mayor Election: Ramdas Athawale Confident in Mahayuti Alliance Victory

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has voiced confidence that the Mayor of Mumbai will be elected from the Mahayuti alliance, which is currently leading in the BMC elections. With the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena at the forefront, initial results show a strong performance across the city. Athawale reflects on the historical power held by Uddhav Thackeray and discusses the implications of his new alliance with Raj Thackeray. As the vote counting progresses, the Mahayuti coalition appears poised for a significant victory, with the BJP and Shiv Sena dominating the majority of seats.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 16, 2026, 15:11 IST

Confidence in Mahayuti Alliance

On Friday, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale expressed his belief that the Mayor of Mumbai will be elected from the Mahayuti alliance. He noted that the majority of seats in the BMC elections are leaning towards this coalition. Athawale mentioned that the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray, BJP, and RPI (A) has enabled them to maintain power in Mumbai for decades. Speaking to a news outlet, he highlighted that vote counting for municipal elections is currently underway across Maharashtra. In the context of Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray has been in power for 25 to 30 years, primarily due to his partnership with the BJP, which is now recognized as the leading party in the country.

Uddhav Thackeray's Current Position

Athawale pointed out that RPI (A) has been allied with Uddhav Thackeray since 2012, which contributed to their sustained governance. However, he remarked that neither the BJP nor RPI (A) is currently aligned with Thackeray. He noted that Thackeray has now formed an alliance with Raj Thackeray, which seems to provide some advantage in certain Marathi-speaking areas, yet the majority of seats are still expected to go to the Mahayuti alliance. The next Mayor of Mumbai is anticipated to be from this coalition and will likely be Marathi-speaking.

Mahayuti Alliance's Strong Performance

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, has solidified its lead in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Initial data indicates that the alliance is ahead in 117 wards across Mumbai. Currently, the BJP is leading in 86 seats, while the Shiv Sena is ahead in 31. The Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) alliance has managed to surpass the 68-seat mark, whereas the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is leading in only 9 seats. The UBT alliance is ahead in 58 seats, and the NCP (SP) is leading in just 1 seat. Similarly, Ajit Pawar's NCP is also ahead in 1 seat, while the Congress party's performance has been disappointing, with only 10 seats.