Mumbai Municipal Election : Prestigious Battle in Mumbai Municipality, Fadnavis vs Uddhav Thackeray
The voting process for the elections of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra has been completed, and now the entire state's attention is on the counting of votes and results. The most discussed election among these was that of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. This election has become a battle of political prestige between two major leaders in the state, not just limited to local self-government institutions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) leader Uddhav Thackeray had put their full strength into this election.
The Mumbai Municipal Corporation, also known as BMC, is considered the largest, wealthiest, and most influential municipal corporation in the country. For more than 25 years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been dominated by the Shiv Sena. Therefore, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is considered a stronghold of the Shiv Sena. However, due to changing political equations, this year's election has become extremely competitive.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deployed the entire organizational strength of the BJP in this election. He publicly announced the goal of winning all 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai. Particularly, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation remained the main focus of their campaign. For the BJP, gaining power in Mumbai is seen not only as gaining control over the administration but also as an opportunity to breach the traditional stronghold of the Shiv Sena.
On the other hand, for Uddhav Thackeray, this election has become a test of existence and credibility. After the split in Shiv Sena, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is considered their biggest strength. Therefore, the Thackeray group campaigned vigorously to maintain this stronghold. Uddhav Thackeray himself entered the field, making an emotional appeal to Mumbaikars, trying to emphasize the legacy of Shiv Sena and their claim over Mumbai.
During this election, the campaign rallies saw accusations and counter-accusations, discussions on development issues, and displays of leadership strength. Therefore, the result of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation election will not just remain an election result, but will determine the direction of Maharashtra's politics in the future. It will be important to see whether the result, which will become clear after the counting of votes, gives success to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's aggressive politics or if Uddhav Thackeray maintains Shiv Sena's stronghold.