BMC Polls Deliver Major Upsets and Victories in Mumbai
The long-awaited elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation concluded on Friday with dramatic results. Voters across Mumbai's wards delivered surprising defeats to established political figures while returning familiar faces to power.
Significant Losses for Political Heavyweights
In a major setback for the Akhil Bhartiya Sena, both daughters of party founder Arun Gawli lost their electoral battles. Geeta Gawli, the sitting corporator from ward 212, fell to Samajwadi Party's Amreen Shehzan Abrahni by a substantial margin exceeding two thousand votes. Her sister Yogita Gawli faced defeat in ward 207 against BJP candidate Madhukar Rohidas Lokhande.
These losses signal a clear decline in ABS influence within ward 212, previously considered the party's stronghold for three consecutive terms.
Experienced politician Ravi Raja also suffered defeat on Friday. The former Leader of Opposition in BMC lost to Sena (UBT)'s T M Jagdish in ward 185. Raja, first elected as a corporator in 1992 and re-elected five times since, had recently switched from Congress to BJP after being denied an Assembly ticket in 2024.
This election marked his first contest outside his traditional stronghold of ward 176 in Sion.
Other Notable Defeats Across Mumbai
In the eastern suburbs, NCP's Kaptan Malik faced defeat despite his experience as sitting corporator from ward 170 since 2022. Contesting from ward 165 due to reservation changes, he lost to Congress heavyweight Ashraf Azmi who retained his seat comfortably.
Malik, brother of former minister Nawab Malik, saw his contest in ward 165 attract significant attention throughout the election period.
Ward 194 witnessed another upset in a traditional Shiv Sena bastion. Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate Samadhan Sada Sarvankar, son of politician Sada Sarvankar, lost to Sena UBT's Nishikant Shinde by more than six hundred votes.
Former Mayors Secure Impressive Victories
Despite these upsets, several prominent figures from BMC's previous general body successfully defended their political territories.
In the Sena stronghold of ward 199 in Parel, UBT candidate Kishori Pednekar emerged victorious. The last sitting mayor of Mumbai defeated Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate Rupal Rajesh Kusale by an impressive margin of 1,680 votes.
Former BMC mayor Vishakha Raut also secured victory in ward 191, which includes Shivaji Park and other planned neighborhoods of Dadar. She defeated the candidate backed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Another former mayor, Milind Vaidya, retained his seat in ward 182. Vaidya, who served as mayor between 1996 and 1997, won on a Sena (UBT) ticket.
Additional Significant Wins
Tejasvee Ghosalkar achieved a landslide victory in ward 2 of Dahisar. The former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator, contesting as a BJP candidate, defeated Sena UBT's Dhanashree Kolge by a massive margin exceeding 10,755 votes.
Ghosalkar is the daughter-in-law of Sena (UBT) stalwart and former MLA Vinod Ghosalkar. Her husband Abhishek, Vinod's elder son and former corporator from ward 1, was tragically shot dead during a Facebook live stream in February 2024.
Pooja Mahadeshwar, wife of former mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, also secured victory. She retained ward 87 on a UBT ticket by a margin of 2,400 votes. Her husband had served as councillor for this ward between 2017 and 2022.
The BMC election results reveal shifting political dynamics across Mumbai's diverse constituencies. While some established families faced unexpected defeats, experienced civic leaders demonstrated their continued relevance in Mumbai's political landscape.
