On January 16, 2026, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance neared the winning mark in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election. For the first time in over 25 years, Uddhav Thackeray lost control of the BMC. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), formed three years ago, secured 64 seats, down from 84 seats in 2017. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction got only 27 seats in Mumbai. The election results showed a consolidation of the Marathi vote with voters favoring Uddhav Thackeray’s faction. A senior political leader said, “This shows that in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena belongs to Thackerays.” Shiv Sena (UBT) blamed Eknath Shinde for the defeat. MP Sanjay Raut wrote, “The Marathi population will remember Eknath Shinde as ‘Jaichand’,” referring to a historical traitor. Eknath Shinde had demanded 100 seats to contest but settled for 90 after negotiations with BJP. BJP won 87 seats out of 137 it contested, its best-ever performance in BMC. A senior BJP leader said giving Shinde’s faction more seats avoided appearing anti-Marathi and helped BJP’s prospects. Despite losing control, Uddhav Thackeray proved a strong contender in the Marathi vote bank, finishing second in number of seats. The BJP claimed support from both non-Marathi voters and its core Marathi base, while Thackeray consolidated Marathi votes. A BJP leader commented, "The fear that BJP was anti-Marathi was successfully instigated to some extent in the Marathi population." This election marks a new chapter in Mumbai politics, with BJP pushing for a full majority by 2029. The Shiv Sena split after 2019 changed power dynamics, but the city’s voters have made clear who they see as the true Shiv Sena leader.