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KDMC mayoral race: Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 53 seats, BJP won 50 and UBT won 11 seats in Kalyan-Dombivli. MNS, in a twist, extended its support to Shinde Sena on Wednesday
(From left) Devendra Fadnavis and Raj Thackeray. (PTI File)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won the second highest seats, is out of the race for the mayor’s post in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). However, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which won barely five seats, is not.
How does the mayor post number game work? News18 explains.
KDMC numbers
In the 122-seat KDMC, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 53 seats, BJP won 50 and UBT won 11 seats. Even though the Shinde Sena-BJP are way past the halfway mark, the MNS, in a twist, extended its support to the Shinde Sena on Wednesday. The alliance is believed to have been the brainchild of former MNS MLA Pramod Ratan Patil or Raju Patil. Even as UBT’s Sanjay Raut Said Raj Thackeray was distraught by the move, the MNS maintained that local units are free to act based on ground situation.
ALSO READ | ‘If I Have To Take A Flexible Stance…’: Will Raj Thackeray Ditch Cousin Uddhav For BJP-Sena In BMC?
Why was BJP ousted?
Before the mayor is elected from among the corporators, the reservation for the post in various categories such as General, Women, Scheduled Castes, or OBC is decided through a lottery. The mayor can only be from that category that is picked.
The lottery was held on Thursday.
As per the lottery, the KDMC mayor will be from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.
While the BJP has 50 corporators, it does not have a single member from the ST category.
Why does MNS still get to be in mayoral race?
The Shinde-led Sena has two ST corporators, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has one. This has made the race Shinde Sena vs MNS in KDMC.
Who are the three contenders?
Advocate Harshali Vijay Chaudhary-Thavil (Shinde Shiv Sena): Elected from Ward No. 3B in Kalyan.
Kiran Rajaram Bhangale (Shinde Shiv Sena): Elected from Ward No. 1B.
Sheetal Mahesh Mandhari (MNS): Elected from Ward No. 15B in Kalyan East
KDMC to BMC: Political impact of MNS’s move
The MNS’s joining of hands with the Shinde Sena has led to intense speculation over the politics in Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
In a post to mark the birth anniversary of Bal Thackeray on Friday, Raj Thackeray wrote on X: “Even when Balasaheb had to take a flexible stance in politics at times, his love for the Marathi people didn’t diminish even by a fraction; on the contrary, it only grew stronger. These are the values instilled in us.”
स्व. बाळासाहेबांची आज १०० वी जयंती. इतिहासात जन्म शताब्दी वर्ष अनेकांची साजरी झाली आहेत आणि होतील देखील, पण एखादी व्यक्ती हयात नसताना देखील ती लोकांच्या स्मृतीत रहावी, आणि त्या व्यक्तीने आज देखील एखाद्या प्रांताच्या राजकारणाला आणि समाजकारणाला आकार देत रहावं हे दुर्मिळ. हे फक्त… pic.twitter.com/iDRAjiYWSh— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) January 23, 2026
“I give my word once again today: even if I have to take a slightly flexible stance at times in this completely transformed politics, it will never be for my personal gain or selfishness. Seeing Balasaheb’s blazing love for the Marathi language, the Marathi region, and the Marathi people, thousands and lakhs of people joined him and went along with him — I am one of them. Therefore, my faith and love, and that of my Maharashtra Sainiks, for the two words ‘Balasaheb’ and ‘Marathi’ will never diminish even by a fraction.”
The talks of flexibility has only added fuel to the buzz in Mumbai’s political circles.
January 23, 2026, 13:03 IST
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