Mumbai, January 8: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set for a pivotal election on January 15, 2026, marking the end of a nearly four-year administrative vacuum. With counting scheduled for January 16, the race for control of India’s richest civic body has sparked a complex realignment of political forces. For the first time in two decades, the Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, have signaled a strategic truce, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance faces internal friction as partners opt for independent paths in key wards. Below is a list of key candidates from the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, NCP (Ajit Pawar), NCP (Sharad Pawar), Congress, AIMIM and Samajwadi Party. BMC Elections 2026: Ward-Wise List of Candidates, Polling & Result Dates.

Ward-Wise List of Key Candidates in BMC Elections 2026

  • Sheetal Mhatre (Congress) – Ward No 1

  • Tulip Miranda (Congress) – Ward No 90

  • Tejasvi Ghosalkar (BJP) – Ward No 2

  • Rakhee Jadhav (BJP) – Ward No 31

  • Akash Raj Purohit (BJP) – Ward No 221

  • Ravi Raja (BJP) – Ward No 185

  • Yamini Jadhav (SS-Shinde) – Ward No 209

  • Rajul Patel (SS-Shinde) – Ward No 61

  • Saurabh Ghosalkar (SS-UBT) – Ward No 7

  • Kishori Pednekar (SS-UBT) – Ward No 199

  • Bushra Malik (NCP-Ajit Pawar) - Ward No 170

  • Dhananjay Dada Pisal (NCP-Ajit Pawar) - Ward 111

  • Fareen Khan (NCP-Ajit Pawar) - Ward No 197

  • Ajit Raorane (NCP-Sharad Pawar) - Ward No 43

  • Aarti Chauhan (NCP-Sharad Pawar) - Ward No 51

  • Saniya Shah (NCP-Sharad Pawar) - Ward No 224

  • Sufiyan Ansari (NCP-Sharad Pawar) - Ward No 211

  • Dinesh Salvi (MNS) - Ward No 20

  • Savita Mauli Thorve (MNS) - Ward No 150

  • Arif Sheikh (MNS) - Ward No 188

  • Mohammad Ismail Shaikh (Samajwadi Party) - Ward No 48

  • Zakir Hussain Moosa Habiya (Samajwadi Party) - Ward No 137

  • Sunaina Vishwakarma (Samajwadi Party) - Ward No 39

  • Shaikh Zaveria (AIMIM) - Ward No 96

  • Puja Gupta (AIMIM) - Ward No 180

  • Jahanara Shaikh (AIMIM) - Ward No 78

The Mahayuti Strategy and Internal Splits

The ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, has finalized a major seat-sharing pact. The BJP is slated to contest 137 seats, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will field candidates in 90 seats.

However, the alliance is not a unified front across the board. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has opted to contest independently, announcing candidates for 94 seats. This move creates a "friendly fight" scenario in roughly 100 wards, where the NCP will face off against its own state-level partners, the BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections 2026.

A New 'Marathi Pride' Front

Perhaps the most significant development is the reconciliation between Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT) and Raj Thackeray (MNS). After 20 years of political rivalry, the brothers are campaigning on a joint platform of "Marathi pride."

The Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting over 150 seats, while the MNS has fielded 53 candidates. This alignment aims to consolidate the traditional Marathi vote bank, which both leaders feel has been diluted by national political shifts. This local alliance has effectively altered the dynamics of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), as the Congress has decided to chart its own course in the city.

Congress and the Third Front

The Indian National Congress is positioning itself as a distinct alternative, moving away from its MVA partners for this civic contest. The party has fielded 143 candidates and formed a pre-poll pact with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Prakash Ambedkar.

By aligning with the VBA and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), the Congress is attempting to build a coalition of Dalit, minority, and traditional secular voters. This "third pole" in the election could prove decisive in multi-cornered contests where margins are traditionally thin.

TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:5

TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official List by Parties). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2026 06:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).