The reservation draw for the Mumbai mayor’s post under the rotational system is scheduled to take place today, setting the stage for intense political manoeuvring ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayoral election. In the previous term, the post was reserved first for a Scheduled Caste woman and later for the open category.
With parties now assessing the number of councillors they have secured across various reservation categories, calculations within political camps are in full swing. Once the reservation is announced, the process of finalising mayoral candidates is expected to accelerate.
Even before the formal announcement, however, a significant development has emerged.
Sources indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—both of which performed strongly in the 2026 Mumbai civic elections—are close to concluding negotiations over the distribution of key posts in the civic body.
The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has staked its claim to either the mayor’s post or the influential standing committee chairmanship, while also seeking control over major panels such as the Improvements Committee or the Education Committee.
According to the emerging power-sharing formula, if the BJP secures the mayor’s post, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is likely to be offered the standing committee chairmanship. The BJP, meanwhile, is expected to retain control of key and financially significant committees, including the Improvements Committee, BEST, and the Health Committee. In return, the Shiv Sena may be allotted portfolios such as Education, Law, Markets, and Gardens.
Given the stability of the alliance at the state level, the BJP is keen to ensure that its partner is accorded positions of stature within the civic body, sources said, in order to avoid any internal friction.
Following recent meetings between senior BJP and Shiv Sena leaders in Delhi, a final round of discussions is expected to take place in Mumbai between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. These talks are also likely to cover power-sharing arrangements in other civic bodies, including Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, and Ulhasnagar.
Even as negotiations continue, strong signals from within the BJP suggest that the mayor to be elected on January 30 will be from the party. Senior BJP leaders have indicated that the party remains firm on its claim and is confident of retaining the mayor’s chair in Mumbai.
