BMC elections 2026: Andheri West ward 59 goes down to the wire

Yashodhar (Shailesh) Phanse of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Pic Courtesy/X/@shaileshphanse

In a closely fought contest, Yashodhar (Shailesh) Phanse of the Shiv Sena (UBT) edged past Yogiraj Dabhadkar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in ward No. 59, winning by a margin of fewer than 500 votes.

A heavyweight UBT leader and former chairman of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Standing Committee, Phanse's victory came after a tough and multi-cornered battle. The contest was particularly significant as Dabhadkar had defeated Phanse in the 2017 civic elections.

BMC Election 2026 Results: Parties and the number of winning candidates

A three-time corporator from Andheri West, Phanse was first appointed chairman of the BMC Standing Committee in 2014 and has also served as Shiv Sena's group leader in the civic body, making him one of the senior-most political figures in the ward.

The margin narrowed further due to the strong performance of the Indian National Congress candidate Sandhe Jayesh Ramdas, a resident of Versova Koli Village, who is believed to have received substantial local support.

Former Shiv Sena (UBT) worker Sachin Kondiba Shivekar, who contested as an independent after being denied a party ticket, also emerged as a significant factor, pulling over 3000 votes.

6610
No. of votes secured by Yashodhar (Shailesh) Phanse

Ward 59 results

Shiv Sena (UBT): Yashodhar (Shailesh) Phanse 6610
BJP: Yogiraj Dabhadkar 6237
Congress: Sandhe Jayesh Ramdas 5211
Independent: Sachin Kondiba Shivekar 3024