Who were Mumbai's Mayors in the past 75 years? Here's a historical overview

Over the past 75 years, Mumbai’s Mayors have represented the city through periods of colonial transition, independence, rapid urbanisation, political change, and social transformation. While the mayor’s powers are limited compared to the municipal commissioner, the position has remained a powerful symbol of civic leadership and public representation.

From the early 1930s and 1940s, Mumbai (then Bombay) saw mayors such as Sir JB Boman-Behram, Sir VN Chandavarkar, E Moses, and YJ Meherally, who guided the city during the late colonial period and the turbulence of World War 2. The immediate post-Independence years were led by figures such as AP Sabavala, MU Mascarenhas, and SK Patil, reflecting the emergence of Indian leadership in municipal governance.

BMC Election Results 2026: Full ward-wise list of winners

1931–1932 — Sir JB Boman-Behram
1932–1933 — Sir VN Chandavarkar
1933–1934 — MC Javle
1934–1935 — HM Rahimtoola
1935–1936 — KF Nariman
1936–1937 — JM Mehta
1937–1938 — E Moses
1938–1939 — Sir SM Chinoy
1939–1940 — Sir BN Karanjia
1940–1941 — M Tricamjee
1941–1942 — JA Collaco
1942–1943 — YJ Meherally
1943 — MDD Gilder
1943–1944 — MR Masani
1944–1945 — NT Master
1945–1946 — JA D’Souza
1946–1947 — MIM Rowjee
1947–1948 — AP Sabavala
1948–1949 — MU Mascarenhas
1949–1952 — SK Patil

The decades from the 1950s to the 1970s were marked by frequent mayoral tenures, often lasting a year, with leaders such as SA Kadar, NN Shah, EA Bandookwalla, and HS Gupte. This period coincided with Mumbai’s expansion as India’s commercial capital and the growth of its civic infrastructure.

1952–1953 — G. N. Desai
1953–1954 — Peter Anastasio Dias
1954–1955 — DV Patel
1955–1956 — NC Pupala
23/02/1956–31/03/1956 — SM Modi
1956–1957 — SA Kadar
04/04/1957–13/05/1957 — SC Fernandes
25/05/1957–31/03/1958 — MV Donde
1958–1959 — SS Mirajkar
1959–1960 — PT Borale
1960–1961 — VN Desai
1961–1962 — VB Worlikar
1962–1963 — NN Shah
1963–1964 — EA Bandookwalla
1964–1965 — BP Divgi
1965–1966 — M Madhavan
1966–1967 — SR Patkar
1967–1968 — JL D’Souza
1968–1969 — RN Kulkarni
1969–1970 — JK Joshi
1970–1971 — SG Patel
1971–1972 — HS Gupte

From the late 1970s onwards, the mayoralty increasingly reflected the city’s changing political landscape. Leaders such as Murli Deora, Chhagan Bhujbal, Ramesh Prabhoo, and Sharad Acharya became prominent public figures. The 1990s also saw greater representation of women, with mayors such as Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar, Vishakha Raut, and later Snehal Ambekar, Shubha Raul, Shraddha Jadhav, and Kishori Pednekar.

1972–1973 — RK Ganatra
1973–1974 — SG Joshi
1974–1975 — BK Boman Behram
1975–1976 — ND Mehta
1976–1977 — MG Joshi
1977–1978 — MS Deora
04/1978–11/1978 — VS Mahadik
11/1978–03/1980 — RK Chimbulkar
1980–1981 — BH Shete
1981–1982 — AU Memon
1982–1983 — PS Pai
1983–1984 — MH Bedi
1985–1986 — Chhagan C Bhujbal
1986–1987 — Datta Nalawade
1987–1988 — Ramesh Prabhoo
1988–1989 — CS Padwal
1989–1990 — Sharad Acharya
1990–1991 — Chhagan C Bhujbal
1991–1992 — Diwakar Raote
1992–1993 — CD Handore
1993–1994 — RR Singh
1994–1995 — Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar
1995–1996 — RT Kadam
1996–1997 — Milind Vaidya
1997–1998 — Vishakha Raut
1998–1999 — Nandu Satam
1999–2002 — Hareshwar Patil
2002–2005 — Mahadeo B Deole
2005–2007 — Dattaji Dalvi
2007–11/2009 — Dr Shubha U Raul
2009–08/03/2012 — Shraddha Jadhav
09/03/2012–08/09/2014 — Sunil W Prabhu
2014–2017 — Snehal Ambekar
09/03/2017–21/11/2019 — Vishwanath P Mahadeshwar
2019–2022 — Kishori Pednekar

In the 21st century, mayors including Hareshwar Patil, Mahadeo Deole, Datta Dalvi, Sunil Prabhu, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, and Kishori Pednekar have presided over Mumbai during times of rapid urban growth, infrastructure challenges, and civic resilience.