CM Fadnavis Announces Mumbai's Next Mayor Will Be Hindu and Marathi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asserted that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from the ruling Mahayuti alliance and will be “both Hindu and Marathi,” intensifying the political discourse ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. His statement comes amid growing speculation and controversy over who will occupy the city’s most powerful civic post.

Fadnavis’ remarks follow a contentious statement by Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam, who said the party would not allow any “Khan” to become the mayor. The comment triggered sharp backlash from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), both of which accused the BJP of divisive politics and communal signalling.

Adding to the political churn, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who recently reunited with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, declared that Mumbai’s mayor would be Marathi and aligned with their camp. This has further sharpened the contest, with regional identity and political dominance emerging as central themes in the civic poll campaign.

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Fadnavis reinforced the BJP’s position during an interaction with ‘Mumbai Tak’ while travelling on the city’s underground Metro. Responding to questions on a range of political issues, he clarified that the Mahayuti would secure the mayoral post and dismissed attempts to misinterpret individual leaders’ remarks as official party policy.

Addressing queries about former minister Kripashankar Singh’s reported comments on a “north Indian and Hindi-speaking” mayor, Fadnavis said Singh’s statement was unrelated to Mumbai and that he is not an official party spokesperson. Singh had referred specifically to the Mira Bhayandar municipal corporation, not the BMC, the chief minister clarified.

With elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the BMC, scheduled for January 15 and results due the following day, political temperatures are rising rapidly. The mayoral debate has become a flashpoint, reflecting broader ideological, cultural and electoral battles set to play out in Mumbai’s civic elections.

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