The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on January 15, 2026, delivered a historic blow to the Thackeray family, ending their nearly 30-year control over Mumbai’s richest civic body. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, secured a commanding 118 seats out of 227, surpassing the majority mark of 114. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with around 89 seats, while Shinde’s Sena won 29. This marked the first time since 1997 that no Thackeray-led faction held power in the BMC, signaling a major shift in Mumbai’s political landscape amid changing demographics and strong development-focused campaigning by the ruling alliance.

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), or Sena (UBT), managed to win 65 seats despite the drubbing, outperforming Shinde’s faction in Mumbai and reinforcing Uddhav’s claim as the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy. In a poignant social media post following the results, the party shared an image of the late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, captioning it, “This fight isn’t over yet.” The message emphasized continued pursuit of Marathi pride and respect, vowing that the struggle for the “Marathi manoos” would persist until justice is served, even as the alliance with Raj Thackeray’s MNS failed to reclaim dominance.

Raj Thackeray, through an open letter and public statements, echoed this resolve, declaring that defeat would not break their spirit. He framed the contest as one between “immense financial power and authority” versus “Shivshakti,” accusing the Mahayuti of exploiting and harassing Marathis. Despite his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) securing only six seats in the BMC, Raj promised fierce opposition from their corporators against any anti-Marathi actions. He stressed that elections come and go, but the commitment to Marathi identity and welfare remains unwavering, urging supporters to stand united.

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The Thackeray cousins’ rare reunion after two decades, centered on Marathi asmita and protecting Mumbai’s local identity, resonated in core bastions like South and Central Mumbai but fell short citywide. Analysts point to voter fatigue with identity politics, alienation of non-Marathi communities, and the BJP’s effective governance narrative as key factors. The results across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra further favored Mahayuti, with BJP winning over 1,400 seats statewide.

As the dust settles, the outcome underscores the BJP’s rising urban dominance in Maharashtra while leaving the Thackerays to regroup. With Uddhav’s faction holding ground symbolically and Raj vowing sustained activism, the Marathi cause remains alive, though the road to reclaiming Mumbai’s civic reins appears challenging in the evolving political era.

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