What Are The Powers And Functions Of A Mumbai Mayor? Everything Explained As Resort Politics Make A Comeback In Mumbai

The BJP just pulled off its biggest win ever in the BMC elections, and honestly, that’s a gut punch for the Thackerays in what used to be their stronghold. But right now, everyone’s looking at Eknath Shinde.

Mumbai Mayor Race

With the NDA celebrating a clear victory in Mumbai’s municipal polls, political drama is picking up again. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) insists the elections are done, but says the “real politics is yet to unfold.”

Shinde, who famously split the Shiv Sena and helped bring down Uddhav’s government back in 2022, is now Deputy Chief Minister and the BJP’s ally. His group snagged 29 seats this time.

BMC Elections: Eknath Shinde’s Move 

As the results came in, Shinde’s camp wasted no time. They started moving their corporators into a five-star hotel, classic “resort politics.” It’s got everyone in Mumbai’s political circles buzzing about what comes next.

Here’s where things stand: the BMC has 227 wards, and you need 114 for a majority. The BJP won 89, Shinde’s Sena added 29 more, so together they’re at 118 comfortably over the line. Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, which went solo, managed three seats and will probably support the alliance.

On the other side, the Thackeray Shiv Sena (UBT) got 65, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took six, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) got just one. That’s 72 combined. Congress added 24, AIMIM got eight, and Samajwadi Party two. If the opposition tried to team up, they’d have 106 still eight short of a majority. That alliance seems unlikely, given how these parties usually clash, but technically, it’s possible.

Meanwhile, Uddhav’s camp isn’t backing down. Through their Saamana editorial, they dared Shinde’s side, pointing out that the Shiv Sena has given Mumbai 23 Marathi mayors so far will that tradition stick now? They’re also hinting at an open fight between Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde.

Powers And Functions Of A Mumbai Mayor

The mayor can have an upper hand in the overall control of all the urban bodies. The city people elect a mayor and the state government employs IAS cadres to take care of the executive, financial, and duties of the municipal corporation.

Among the roles and authorities of the executive mayor are:

1) administration of the local urban body,

2) the organisation of the tenure of various civic bodies and

3) leading the meetings with other elected deputies of the civic body.

One more unique authority and role of the executive mayor is that he is treated to be the first citizen of the town; he is the formal head of the municipal corporation; and maintenance of the town dignity is one of the most significant responsibilities of the executive mayor.

The other roles of the mayor are presiding of the different meetings regarding the activities of the municipal corporation. 

What Does The Municipal Finance Management Act Say? 

The Municipal Finance Management Act in India provides that municipal corporations to be financed by the respective state governments. Although the mode of municipal election and term of the executive mayor differs in various states of India, e.g., the term of the mayor in Bangalore is one year, tenure of the mayor in Mumbai is two and a half years, and tenure of the mayor in Bhopal is five years, and in Bhopal, the mayor is directly elected.

The municipal structures are provided differently in various states of India. Among the things that can be come up with is that there is a variation of tenure of a mayor in India and they range between one and five years.

Following a number of revisions that have been made, efforts are being made towards decentralising the power structure or passing on power to the civic body or the mayor as opposed to the state government.

All these urban entities comprise municipal corporations, municipal councils, Nagar Panchayats etc. The municipal council appoints the municipal manager. He is in charge of the budget, routine expenditure, assets of the corporations, financial audits, etc of the whole municipal corporation. In addition, the role of the municipal manager is to comply with adequate legislation, which applies to the municipality. 

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