Ritu Tawde has been elected as the 78th Mayor of Mumbai, taking charge of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after being chosen unopposed by elected corporators. Her election marks a major political shift in the city’s civic administration — ending a 25-year period of control by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and bringing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the mayor’s office after 44 years.
Background and Career
- Name: Ritu Rajesh Tawde
- Position: Mayor of Mumbai (since 7 February 2026)
- Party: Bharatiya Janata Party (joined in 2012 after earlier being with the Indian National Congress)
- Civic Experience:
- Served multiple terms as a BMC corporator, representing areas in Ghatkopar.
- Chairperson of the BMC Education Committee in previous terms.
- Personal: Born in Mumbai, Tawde is one of the few women to hold this prestigious civic role; she is the second BJP leader ever to be Mayor of Mumbai after Prabhakar Pai in the early 1980s.
What This Means
Tawde’s election reflects the BJP’s strong performance in the January 2026 BMC elections, where the party emerged the single-largest group and, together with its allies (including the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena), secured a majority in the 227-member civic house. Her elevation to Mayor also symbolises a major change in Mumbai’s local political landscape after years of dominance by Shiv Sena factions.
Deputy Mayor
Alongside Tawde, Sanjay Ghadi of the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena was elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor, reflecting alliance cooperation in the civic body.
