BJP’s Six Women Councillors Emerge as Leading Contenders for Mumbai Mayor Post

Mumbai: The race for Mumbai’s next mayor is heating up as six prominent women councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have emerged as frontrunners, each bringing experience, influence, and strong local support. The selection comes after the Urban Development Department conducted a lottery draw to determine which category would lead civic bodies across Maharashtra. The results confirmed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be headed by a woman from the General category in the upcoming term.

The six top contenders are:

• Rajshree Shirwadkar (Sion): A three-time councillor with extensive organisational experience.
• Alka Kerkar (Bandra West): Three-term councillor noted for her strong connect with local residents.
• Harshita Narvekar (Fort): Two-term councillor active in civic development initiatives.
• Preeti Seetam (Goregaon): Two-term councillor steadily building a presence in suburban areas.
• Yogita Kohli (Malad): Two-term councillor recognised for community-driven projects.
• Ritu Tawde (Ghatkopar): Two-term councillor whose candidacy has generated excitement as well as internal debate within the party.

The mayoral contest is expected to attract close attention both within the BJP and across Mumbai’s political landscape, as the city awaits the announcement of the party’s official nominee.

The backdrop to this contest is the recent civic elections across Maharashtra, held on January 15, with vote counting on January 16. The Mahayuti alliance achieved sweeping victories across most municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, and Ulhasnagar, defeating opponents such as the Thackeray-led factions in Mumbai and the NCP in Pune. Meanwhile, Congress managed to secure a majority in Latur, and the Sena-UBT and Congress alliance won in Parbhani.