Even after securing a clear mandate in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Mahayuti alliance is facing internal strain, with suspense mounting over who will occupy the influential Mayor’s chair in Mumbai. The alliance—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde—won 118 of the 227 seats, ending more than two decades of dominance by the Thackeray family over India’s richest civic body.

While the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, Shinde’s Sena secured 29 corporators, making the alliance numerically dependent on both partners. This arithmetic has now spilled into negotiations over the Mayor’s post and key committees that control the BMC’s vast finances and administration.

On January 18, Shinde signalled a tougher stand, indicating that his party would not easily relinquish its claim. His absence from a Cabinet meeting chaired by Devendra Fadnavis a day earlier was widely seen as a calculated move to underline dissatisfaction over power-sharing discussions.

Adding to the drama, Shinde directed all 29 newly elected Sena corporators to relocate to a five-star hotel in Bandra. Party leaders described the step as an opportunity for rest and orientation after a demanding campaign, but rivals interpreted it as a familiar tactic to prevent defections—an echo of Maharashtra’s long history of fluid political loyalties.

The opposition has been quick to exploit the uncertainty. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose party won 65 seats, hinted that the Mayor’s race was still open-ended. His aide Sanjay Raut went further, claiming the opposition had enough strength to challenge the ruling alliance if required.

Fadnavis, however, sought to play down the rift, asserting that the Mayor would come from the Mahayuti and that the decision would be arrived at amicably. He also noted that the reservation category of the Mayor’s post would be determined by a lottery next week, after which formal talks would resume.

The unfolding standoff highlights the uneasy balance within the Mahayuti, where electoral success has not erased underlying competition for influence. For the BJP, control of the Mayor’s office is key to long-term administrative leverage in Mumbai, while Shinde’s Sena views it as proof of its continued relevance after shifting roles since 2022. As the Mayor’s election approaches, the outcome will signal whether the alliance can manage internal ambitions—or whether cracks could widen in Maharashtra’s most powerful civic institution.