The 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election has emerged as a high-stakes political battle for all major parties. For the Thackeray brothers, it is being seen as a fight for political survival, while for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has secured power at both the Centre and the state, Mumbai’s civic body remains an unfulfilled ambition.
Determined to bridge that gap, the MahaYuti alliance has drawn up an aggressive campaign blueprint to capture Mumbai and neighbouring municipal corporations. As part of this strategy, a series of large-scale rallies has been planned between January 11 and 13 across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Borivali, Thane and Mira-Bhayander. According to sources, these rallies will be headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several BJP chief ministers from other states. The alliance is expected to pitch its campaign largely around the development narrative.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Mumbai has drawn sharp criticism from the Shiv Sena (UBT) Party MP Sanjay Raut took a swipe at the BJP, remarking that it would not be surprising if even the President were brought in to campaign for the civic polls. He also made a sarcastic reference to Modi’s international engagements, saying the BJP has made it a habit to deploy its top leadership for elections. Raut pointed out that Modi is scheduled to be in Mumbai on January 11, just two days before the campaign period ends on January 13, adding that a special religious programme has also been organised around the same time.
With heavyweight leaders stepping in and campaign intensity rising, the battle for control of India’s richest civic body is clearly entering a decisive phase.
