Overview
- The BJP selected three-time corporator Ritu Tawde for mayor and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena nominated Sanjay Shankar Ghadi for deputy mayor, with both filing nominations on February 7.
- A senior BMC official reported only one nomination each for the mayor and deputy mayor posts after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) chose not to field a candidate.
- The Mahayuti alliance holds 118 of 227 seats in the BMC (BJP 89, Shinde Sena 29), ensuring control following the January civic elections.
- A January 22 lottery reserved the mayor’s post for a woman from the general category, guiding the BJP’s choice of candidate.
- Ghadi is slated to serve about 15 months under a Shiv Sena rotation plan for the deputy mayor’s tenure as the BMC ends nearly four years under an administrator.