17 January,2026 10:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will guide the corporators on governance, the party said. FILE PIC
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has moved its 29 newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel in Bandra for a three-day workshop, raising speculation.
The move comes amid ongoing speculation over the Mumbai Mayor post. Shinde's corporators are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to elect its first-ever mayor in the city. Earlier on Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had said his party could install a mayor "if God wills". Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis noted that the decision on the mayor post would be taken collectively by him, Deputy CM Shinde, and party leaders.
Clarifying on Shiv Sena's hotel move, a press release issued by Yuva Sena General Secretary Amey Ghole stated, "This is to ensure corporators begin work immediately and live up to the trust placed in us by the people."
He also added that the mayor of Mumbai will be from the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP and Shiv Sena, with a final decision to be taken collectively by senior leaders of the allied parties.
Earlier, when asked about speculation over "resort politics," a senior leader from Shinde's faction questioned, "Why should we do this? Who is going to take away our corporators?"
The leader added that the BJP would not attempt such a move, as it could upset alliances at the state and national level, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have no incentive either, and Congress is not even in the reckoning.
"It is just TV reporters who have given this tagline," he said.
According to party sources, the corporators were shifted to the hotel to "refresh" after a hectic election season. Another functionary added that the move also allows for the orientation of newly elected members, and they are expected to stay at the hotel for a couple of days.
The workshop, organised at Hotel Taj Lands End, began immediately after the election results were declared. Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will personally guide the corporators on the functioning of BMC, the city's development plan, implementation of the election manifesto, and preparation of a roadmap for the next five years. Senior party leaders will also brief corporators on ward-level governance, civic procedures, and strategies for the upcoming zilla parishad elections.
The BMC Elections saw the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance emerge as the single largest bloc. The BJP won 89 seats with a 45.22 per cent vote share, while the Sena secured 29 seats. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) won 65 seats, and the Raj Thackeray-headed MNS added six seats. Congress, contesting with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), bagged 24 seats, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Samajwadi Party shared the remaining seats.
The Shinde Sena's performance across Maharashtra was significant, with 397 corporators elected in municipal corporations statewide - including 29 in Mumbai, 75 in Thane, 54 in Kalyan-Dombivli, 42 in Navi Mumbai, 36 in Ulhasnagar, 26 in Nashik, 22 in Jalgaon, 15 in Kolhapur, 13 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and 12 in Jalna.
"The people's faith in Shiv Sena and in the leadership of Eknath Shinde is reflected in these results," Ghole said.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
