Mayoral polls begin across Maharashtra: Shinde Sena secures top posts in MMR; BJP installs first mayor in Akola
In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has moved early to claim the mayor’s post in Thane, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan-Dombivli, while agreeing to share the deputy mayor’s position with the BJP.
4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jan 30, 2026 04:49 PM IST
Maharashtra Deputy CM and Shiva Sena chief Eknath Shinde in Thane with Sharmila Pimpalolkar-Gaikwad who is the party’s candidate for the mayor’s post. (Express Photo)
The process of filing nominations and electing mayors and deputy mayors began across all 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra Friday. While the exercise is underway statewide, early developments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Vidarbha indicate how the ruling alliance is distributing civic power and signal the likely contours of negotiations for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
In the MMR, the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has moved early to claim the mayor’s post in three major civic bodies – Thane, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan-Dombivli – while agreeing to share the deputy mayor’s position with alliance partner BJP.
In Thane: 4 mayors in 5 years
In Thane, the Sena has announced Sharmila Pimpalolkar-Gaikwad as its candidate for the mayor’s post, while the deputy mayor’s post will go to the BJP. Along with the power-sharing arrangement, the Thane Municipal Corporation has adopted a rotational formula for the two top civic posts. Under this, the mayor and deputy mayor will serve tenures of around 15 months each. As a result, Thane will have four mayors and four deputy mayors over its five-year term.
Explaining the decision, a Shiv Sena functionary said the arrangement was aimed at ensuring wider participation in civic leadership. “There are several aspirants for the mayor’s post, including first-time corporators. If the same leadership continues for five years, many get discouraged. This formula ensures new corporators get a platform and an opportunity to lead the civic body,” the functionary said.
Party sources said the rotational tenure was finalised after consultations at the leadership level to avoid internal dissatisfaction and to ensure that senior as well as new corporators are accommodated without disrupting administrative functioning.
In Ulhasnagar, Shiv Sena corporator Ashwini Nikam filed her nomination for the mayor’s post, while Amar Lund submitted his nomination for deputy mayor. Sena leaders said the party enjoys sufficient numerical strength in the civic body to secure both posts under the alliance arrangement.
In the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, the Shinde-led Sena has fielded Harshali Thavil-Chaudhari for the mayor’s post, while the BJP has nominated Rahul Damle for the deputy mayor’s post. Leaders from both parties were present during the filing of nominations.
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With these developments, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is set to head all three major municipal corporations in the MMR, while the BJP retains a presence in civic administration through the deputy mayor’s posts.
BJP milestone in Vidharbha
In Vidarbha, however, the BJP registered a significant political milestone in Akola Municipal Corporation, where it installed its first mayor. BJP candidate Sharda Khedekar won the mayoral election, defeating the candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Party leaders said the Akola result was significant as the BJP had not previously held the mayor’s post in the city, which has traditionally seen contests dominated by regional parties.
Senior Shinde Sena leaders indicated that the power-sharing arrangements in the MMR, including the rotational formula adopted in Thane, are being viewed as a reference point for discussions on leadership positions in Mumbai.
“We have shown flexibility and shared power in important municipal corporations. We expect a similar understanding and respectable positions when talks on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation take place,” a senior leader said.
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The nomination and election process in the remaining municipal corporations is expected to continue over the next few days.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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