The contest for the Mumbai mayor’s post remains far from settled, according to leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), even as the ruling Mahayuti alliance has crossed the majority mark in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the BMC elections, winning 89 of the 227 wards. Its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, secured 29 seats. Together, the Mahayuti alliance has 118 corporators, comfortably above the majority requirement of 114 in India’s richest civic body, which has an annual budget of over Rs 74,000 crore.

However, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut maintained that the numbers tell only part of the story.

Uddhav Thackeray’s faction finished second with 65 wards. Raut said that when allied parties are taken into account, the UBT-led grouping stands at 108 seats, just six short of the majority.

“We are currently at 108 with the UBT, MNS, Congress and our allies. The target is 114. We are marginally short by just six seats. Just wait and watch, anything can happen in Mumbai politics,” Raut said.

Allies and numbers

Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which aligned with the Uddhav faction shortly before the polls, won six seats. The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, secured 24 seats.

Other parties in the civic house include the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen with eight seats, the Samajwadi Party with two, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party with three, and one seat won by the Sharad Pawar faction. The Ajit Pawar-led party is part of the ruling alliance at the state level but fought the civic elections independently.

War of words over corporators

Raut also took a sharp dig at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, alleging that corporators from the Shinde-led Sena had been moved to luxury hotels to prevent defections.

“Our corporators are at home, living a normal life,” Raut said, adding that rival leaders were acting out of fear. He claimed that some elected representatives did not want to see a BJP mayor in Mumbai and could switch sides.

Responding to the allegations, the Shinde camp dismissed claims of poaching fears, stating that its 29 corporators-elect were attending a training workshop at a five-star hotel. Party sources said the arrangement was meant to familiarise newly elected members with organisational expectations, not to keep them confined.

With both sides trading claims and counterclaims, the battle for the Mumbai mayor’s chair appears set for intense political manoeuvring in the days ahead.

The Uttar Pradesh government has removed Noida Authority CEO M Lokesh following the death of a 27-year-old software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Noida’s Sector 150, triggering public outrage and allegations of official negligence.

The victim, Yuvraj Mehta, was returning home from work late on Friday when his vehicle fell into the pit amid dense fog conditions. Police said the engineer suffocated under water and also suffered a cardiac arrest, leading to his death.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident. According to an official statement, the SIT has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation and submit its report to the chief minister within five days.

Allegations of negligence and delayed rescue

The victim’s father, Raj Kumar Mehta, accused local authorities of negligence and demanded accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future. He said responsibility must be fixed so that “no one else loses their son like this”.

A delivery agent who witnessed the incident claimed that rescue efforts were delayed, suggesting that the engineer could have survived if timely action had been taken. Residents of the area staged protests, alleging inadequate barricading and the absence of reflectors at the accident-prone construction site.

Police, however, denied negligence in the rescue operation. An FIR has been registered against two real estate developers following a complaint by the victim’s family.

Barricades installed after protests

After protests by local residents, the Noida Authority installed barricades at the site where the accident occurred. The incident has renewed concerns over safety measures at construction zones, particularly during low-visibility conditions.

The case has sparked wider discussions on accountability and enforcement of safety norms at infrastructure and real estate project sites across the region.

In the wake of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election results, Congress MP and Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad has launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing him of lacking confidence in his own corporators.

Speaking to media, Gaikwad dismissed speculation about any defection within the Congress and questioned the decision by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction to move its newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel in Bandra.

Resort politics allegation after BMC polls

Calling it an unprecedented move in the city’s civic politics, Gaikwad alleged that “hotel and resort politics” has entered the BMC for the first time.

She said Shinde’s actions reflected fear that his corporators could switch sides. According to her, such steps exposed a trust deficit within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Gaikwad asserted that the Congress, despite a reduced tally, remains united and rooted among the people. She described the party’s 24 corporators as “24-carat gold,” underlining their loyalty and independence.

Congress dismisses defection speculation

Contrasting the two camps, Gaikwad said Congress corporators were moving freely across the city and staying connected with citizens, unlike those confined to hotels.

She also addressed statements by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who had suggested that political equations could still change in the BMC. Gaikwad clarified that no discussions or negotiations were underway between the Congress and UBT regarding control of the civic body.

“There are no backdoor talks and no such initiative has even begun,” she said, rejecting rumours of a possible shift in power.

Internal dissent reflects democracy, says Gaikwad

Responding to questions on internal dissent within the Mumbai Congress, including demands for her resignation by senior leaders, Gaikwad maintained that such differences reflected internal democracy.

She said leaders in the Congress were free to express opinions, unlike other parties where dissent is not tolerated.