Mumbai To Get Its Mayor In February? Here's Why The Process Is Held Up

Last Updated:January 27, 2026, 09:30 IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party, with 89 corporators, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which has 29, together command a comfortable majority of 118 seats in the 227-member house

According to sources, the delay is linked to the ongoing group registration process involving the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). (AI-Generated Image)

The election of Mumbai’s next Mayor and Deputy Mayor is likely to take place in February, though the official schedule is yet to be announced, sources familiar with the process have told CNN-News18.

While election programmes for the posts in several other municipal corporations across Maharashtra have already been declared, Mumbai continues to await its formal notification. According to sources, the delay is linked to the ongoing group registration process involving the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).

The schedule for the mayoral election is expected to be announced only after the completion of group registrations at the Konkan Divisional Commissioner’s office. This will be followed by formal registration at the municipal secretariat in Mumbai. Once the group formation process is completed, the Mayor is required to be elected within seven days, as per procedure.

After registrations conclude, a meeting will be convened between the Municipal Commissioner and the Municipal Secretary to finalise the election process. Following this meeting, the civic administration will issue an official advertisement, inviting applications for the post of Mayor.

Corporators will be given three days to submit their applications. The nomination papers will then be accepted over the following two days, after which the election process will move toward voting and declaration of results.

Political activity around the mayoral race has intensified in recent weeks, with speculation over potential candidates from the ruling alliance. The post is set to go to a woman mayor from the general category, following the completion of the lottery process for reservation.

The Mumbai Mayor’s election is being closely watched as it comes at a time when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)—India’s richest civic body—has been without an elected general body for an extended period. The outcome is expected to reflect the balance of power within the ruling alliance in the city’s civic administration.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, with 89 corporators, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which has 29, together command a comfortable majority of 118 seats in the 227-member civic house. Although the BJP has emerged as the single-largest party, the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena has also staked its claim to the mayor’s post, pointing to the centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray as a significant factor in favour of a Sena mayor.

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