Mumbai, January 17: Following a landslide victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, which concluded on January 16, Mumbai is poised to appoint its first Mayor in nearly four years. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, including the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, secured 118 out of 227 seats, crossing the majority mark and ending nearly three decades of dominance by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. Since the term of the last Mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022, the country's richest civic body has been under the administration of a state-appointed commissioner. With the election results finalised, the city's "First Citizen" is expected to be sworn in within the coming weeks.

The Evolution of the Mayoral Office

The position of the Mayor of Mumbai -  historically known as the "President" until 1931 -  has seen a transition from colonial-era administrators to some of Maharashtra's most powerful political figures. While the role is largely ceremonial with executive powers resting with the Municipal Commissioner, it remains a prestigious post and a frequent stepping stone for leaders who later become Chief Ministers or Union Ministers. BMC Election Results 2026: BJP, Shiv Sena Achieve ‘Mission Mumbai’, Succeed in Ending 25-Year Thackeray Rule.

List of Notable Mumbai Mayors from 1931 to 2026

The following table highlights the figures who have led the BMC since the designation of "Mayor" was officially adopted.

1  J. B. Boman Behram  1931  1932 
2  V. N. Chandavarkar  1932  1933 
3  Moreshwar Chintaman Javle  1933  1934 
4  Hoosenally Rahimtoola  1934  1935 
5  Khurshed Nariman  1935  1936 
6  Jamnadas M. Mehta  1936  1937 
7  Elijah Moses Rajpurker  1937  1938 
8  Sultan M. Chinoy  1938  1939 
9  Behram N. Karanjia  1939  1940 
10  Mathooradas Tricamjee  1940  1941 
11  Joseph A. Collaco  1941  1942 
12  Yusuf Meherally  1942  1943 
13  M. D. D. Gilder  1943  1943 
14  Minoo Masani  1943  1944 
15  Nagindas T. Master  1944  1945 
16  Joseph Alban D'Souza  1945  1946 
17  Mohamedbhoy I. M. Rowjee  1946  1947 
18  A. P. Sabavala  1947  1948 
19  M. U. Mascarenhas  1948  1949 
20  S. K. Patil  1949  1952 
21  Ganpatishankar N. Desai  1952  1953 
22  P. A. Dias  1953  1954 
23  Dahyabhai Patel  1954  1955 
24  N. C. Pupala  1955  1956 
25  Sulochana Modi  1956  1956 
26  Abdul Kader Salebhoy  1956  1957 
27  Simon C. Fernandes  1957  1957 
28  M. V. Donde  1957  1958 
29  S. S. Mirajkar  1958  1959 
30  P. T. Borale  1959  1960 
31  Vishnuprasad N. Desai  1960  1961 
32  V. B. Worlikar  1961  1962 
33  N. N. Shah  1962  1963 
34  E. A. Bandookwala  1963  1964 
35  B. P. Divgi  1964  1965 
36  M. Madhavan  1965  1966 
37  S. R. Patkar  1966  1967 
38  J. Leon D'Souza  1967  1968 
39  R. N. Kulkarni  1968  1969 
40  J. K. Joshi  1969  1970 
41  S. G. Patel  1970  1971 
42  Hemchandra Gupte  1971  1972 
43  R. K. Ganatra  1972  1973 
44  Sudhir Joshi  1973  1974 
45  B. K. Boman-Behram  1974  1975 
46  N. D. Mehta  1975  1976 
47  Manohar Joshi  1976  1977 
48  Murli Deora  1977  1978 
49  Wamanrao Mahadik  1978  1978 
50  R. K. Chimbulkar  1978  1980 
51  Baburao H. Shete  1980  1981 
52  A. U. Memon  1981  1982 
53  P. S. Pai  1982  1983 
54  M. H. Bedi  1983  1984 
55  Chhagan Bhujbal  1985  1986 
56  Dattaji Nalawade  1986  1987 
57  Ramesh Prabhoo  1987  1988 
58  C. S. Padwal  1988  1989 
59  Sharad N. Acharya  1989  1990 
(55)  Chhagan Bhujbal  1990  1991 
60  Diwakar Raote  1991  1992 
61  Chandrakant Handore  1992  1993 
62  R. R. Singh  1993  1994 
63  Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar  1994  1995 
64  R. T. Kadam  1995  1996 
65  Milind Vaidya  1996  1997 
66  Vishakha Raut  1997  1998 
67  Nandu Satam  1998  1999 
68  Hareshwar Patil  29 April 1999  5 March 2002 
69 Mahadeo Deole  6 March 2002  17 February 2005 
70 Datta Dalvi  18 February 2005  9 March 2007 
71  Shubha Raul  10 March 2007  30 November 2009 
72 Shraddha Jadhav  1 December 2009  8 March 2012 
73  Sunil Prabhu  9 March 2012  8 September 2014 
74 Snehal Ambekar  9 September 2014  8 March 2017 
75 Vishwanath Mahadeshwar  9 March 2017  21 November 2019 
76  Kishori Pednekar  22 November 2019  8 March 2022 

It is worth noting that in the recently concluded BMC Elections 2026, whose results were announced on Friday, January 16, four former mayors - Kishori Pednekar, Shraddha Jadhav, Vishakha Raut and Milind Vaidya - emerged victorious along with three former deputy mayors. Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Election 2026 Results: BJP Emerges Single-Largest Party in Most Civic Bodies Across State.

A Historic Political Realignment

The 2026 results mark a watershed moment for Mumbai's civic politics. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, effectively dismantling the "Thackeray Fortress" that had stood since 1997. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the next Mayor will represent the Mahayuti's vision of a "development-focused Mumbai," moving away from the identity-based politics of previous decades.

Why the Post of Mumbai's Mayor Vacant

The delay in BMC elections was primarily due to legal disputes over ward delimitation and OBC reservations, alongside the political upheaval in the state following the split of the original Shiv Sena in 2022. During this period, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani functioned as the sole administrator. The restoration of an elected body is expected to accelerate pending infrastructure projects, including the next phases of the Coastal Road and Mumbai Metro.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2026 12:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).