Who Is Ritu Tawde? BJP’s Picks For Mumbai Mayor Candidate, Shiv Sena Loses Grip After 25 Years

BJP corporator Ritu Tawde has been declared the Mahayuti alliance’s nominee for Mumbai’s Mayor’s post, party president Ameet Satam confirmed on Friday. She is likely to submit her nomination soon for the leadership of Asia’s wealthiest municipal corporation. 

At the same time, the Shiv Sena has put forward corporator Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for Deputy Mayor. The Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in the recently held civic polls, with the mayoral election slated for February 11.

Mumbai Mayor Candidate: Ritu Tawde

Ritu Tawde’s candidature was unveiled during a meeting of BJP corporators held at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters on Friday evening. Ameet Satam officially announced her name, stating that the decision followed discussions with the party’s senior leadership.

Who Is Ritu Tawde?

Ritu Tawde is a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. She previously served as the Chairperson of the Education Committee of the BMC. 

Ritu Tawdewas originally a member of the Congress party; she later joined the BJP in 2012 and has since become a prominent “Marathi face” for the party in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs. 

BMC Election Results 2026

According to official figures released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BMC, the BJP won 89 seats, polling 11,79,273 votes, which accounts for 21.58 per cent of the total votes cast. Among all winning candidates, the BJP’s vote share stands at 45.22 per cent, making it the single largest party in the civic body.

Its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), secured 29 seats with 2,73,326 votes, translating into 5.00 per cent of the total vote share. Together, the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance emerged as the largest bloc in the BMC.

BMC Election: Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS Win 71 Seats Combined

On the other side, the Shiv Sena (UBT), contesting in alliance with the MNS, won 65 seats. The UBT-led Sena polled 7,17,736 votes, accounting for 13.13 per cent of the total votes cast. The MNS added 6 seats to the alliance tally, with 74,946 votes and a 1.37 per cent vote share. The Indian National Congress (INC) secured 24 seats, polling 2,42,646 votes, which represents 4.44 per cent of the total vote share.

(Inputs from ANI)