BMC Election Results: BJP-Led Mahayuti Heads For Big Win, Thackeray Bastion Under Threat

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is heading towards a major victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026, with early and mid-day trends showing the ruling combine closing in on areas long considered strongholds of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

According to the latest counting trends, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, have taken a strong lead across Mumbai, raising the possibility of ending the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s nearly 30-year control over India’s richest civic body.

The BMC polls, held after long delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and legal disputes over ward delimitation, turned into a high-stakes political battle.

While overall voter turnout remained modest, the intense fight between rival Shiv Sena factions and the BJP appeared to boost participation in several key Marathi-dominated areas of central Mumbai.

Central Mumbai, considered the symbolic heartland of the Thackeray legacy, witnessed a tough contest as defections and party switches ahead of the polls weakened traditional loyalties.

Several former corporators and even sitting MLAs had crossed over to the BJP or the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, adding uncertainty to the outcome.

By late afternoon, the Mahayuti alliance was leading in over 110 wards in Mumbai, putting it firmly on course to form the next BMC administration.

In contrast, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and its allies struggled to match the ruling bloc’s momentum, with celebrations notably absent outside Sena Bhavan in Dadar.

The BJP also recorded clean sweeps in several pockets, including Mulund, where it won all six wards. In Ulhasnagar, however, the contest remained tight, with the Shiv Sena and BJP locked in a neck-and-neck fight.

Civic issues such as poor roads, traffic congestion, drainage, and basic infrastructure dominated voter concerns during the campaign, especially in suburban areas. Despite celebrity appeals in localities like Bandra West, voter enthusiasm appeared muted in some urban pockets.