BMC Mayor Lottery On Jan 22: Will Uddhav Thackeray Back Fadnavis In Mumbai Civic Body Power Game As Shinde Fights To Keep Control

The race for Mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has turned into a high-stakes political show in Mumbai as parties prepare for the reservation lottery on January 22, which will decide what category the mayor’s post will be reserved for before the civic house can elect its leader.

The reservation lottery for the mayor’s post in 29 metropolitan municipal bodies across the state will be held on Thursday, January 22. The draw will take place at 11 am in the Council Chamber at the Mantralaya. Only after the reservation category is announced will political parties be able to finalise and name their candidates for the mayor’s post.

According to reports, the BMC elections on January 15 delivered a clear but tricky result in which the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member house. They fell short of the majority mark of 114, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 29 seats to take the Mahayuti alliance’s tally to 118, technically above the halfway mark. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS together won 71 seats which kept them in the political fight.

Uddhav Thackeray to support Devendra Fadnavis in BMC Mayor lottery?

Despite having a majority on paper, the mayor’s post can’t be filled until the reservation category is determined, which is done through a lottery system. A chit will be drawn to decide whether the Mayor’s post is reserved for women, SC/ST, OBC or remains open, and only then can parties nominate candidates and a vote be held, as per reports. 

There are reports that Uddhav Thackeray’s group might support the BJP and might have shown inclination towards the support behind the scenes. 

Eknath Shinde moved all his corporators to a hotel

Amid all this, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is playing a careful game. His camp has completed all paperwork for the 29 Shiv Sena corporators and is likely to name a leader today to prevent any defections within the ranks. Sources say names like Yamini Jadhav, Trishna Vishwasrao and Amey Ghole are being discussed for leadership positions across the civic body.

To guard against poaching or last-minute political shifts, Shinde also moved all his corporators to a five-star hotel in Bandra, a move that drew criticism. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said even members of the Shinde camp “do not want a BJP mayor” and accused Shinde of turning the hotel into a “jail” for corporators to prevent them from defecting. “No one wants a BJP mayor,” Raut said, which has implied deeper tensions.

All eyes on January 22 BMC Mayor lottery

Raut’s comments reflect unease in the opposition camp, which believes the BJP’s hold on the civic house should not go unchallenged, even though numbers favour the Mahayuti.

Shinde, however, remains strategic and firm. “The mayor’s post will be with Mahayuti,” he told reporters, signalling that negotiations with the BJP are ongoing and that his faction wants a share of power. 

As Mumbai waits for January 22’s reservation lottery, which is the official kick-off for mayoral elections. All eyes are on how the power play between the BJP, Shinde and Thackeray camps unfolds in Asia’s richest civic body.

Also Read: Mumbai Mayor Race: Eknath Shinde Takes Big Step To Block Defections, Sena Corporators’ Leader Announcement Likely Today – What We Know