Mumbai BMC election results 2026: Thackerays outpace Shinde Sena on Marathi turf

Following their setback in the 2024 state assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray joined hands for the civic polls

• Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance retained Marathi heartland seats in Mumbai BMC polls
• Alliance's impact was limited outside Marathi areas and Mumbai satellite cities.
• Thackerays' joint campaign failed to convert buzz into wider electoral gains

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Though the tactical alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena did not translate into a win for the Thackeray cousins in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, it did enable them to retain their base in the Marathi heartland of south as well as central Mumbai.

However, outside of the Marathi-dominated areas, they could have limited impact.

The Mahayuti managed to secure only a handful of seats in areas such as Dadar-Mahim, Worli, Sewri, Lalbaug-Parel and parts of Wadala, with the majority going to the Sena (UBT)-MNS combine. Many of these constituencies witnessed high-stakes prestige battles, but of the roughly 20 seats in these pockets, Mahayuti won just two or three while the Thackerays swept the rest.

Highlighting its intent to dominate the region, Sena (UBT) fielded three former mayors -- Kishori Pednekar, Vishakha Raut and Milind Vaidya --and all emerged victorious. In Dadar-Mahim and Worli, Shiv Sena’s Samadhan and Priya Sarvankar, children of former MLA Sada Sarvankar, lost to Sena (UBT) candidates Nishikant Shinde and Vishakha Raut, respectively. Mahayuti managed to win only two seats here: Vanita Sarvankar of the Shinde Sena in Worli and BJP’s Sheetal Gambhir in Mahim.

A political observer told Times of India that the real battle for Marathi manoos’ loyalty was being fought in central Mumbai. “BMC elections were a litmus test for the Sena UBT-MNS combine. With the Thackerays coming together, the combined retained their bastion and Mahayuti only managed to create a small dent”.

However, the alliance, announced just days before the January 15 polls, failed to make any impact in Mumbai’s satellite cities -- Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar and Panvel -- all of which fall within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The alliance also failed to make any impact in cities like Nashik and Pune.

Following their setback in the 2024 state assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray joined hands for the civic polls, setting aside their two-decade-old rivalry in the name of the “Marathi manoos” and Maharashtra’s welfare.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats in the state assembly, while the MNS drew a blank.

Political analyst Prakash Akolkar, who has authored a book on the Shiv Sena, blamed the Thackerays for not campaigning enough in run up to the polls to mobilize support for their alliance, according to a PTI report.

According to him, the Thackeray cousins lost valuable time after their July 5, 2025 reunion, when they came together to celebrate what they called a “victory” after the BJP-led Mahayuti withdrew the controversial GRs on the three-language formula for students in Classes 1-5 and the decision to make Hindi mandatory.

Though their coming together created buzz and momentum, they were unable to convert it into electoral gains, Akolkar said. He added that the duo held only three joint rallies -- in Mumbai, Nashik and Thane -- despite promising many more.