NCP Factions Back Shinde Sena in BMC Power Play, Shifting Mayoral Poll Arithmetic

Mumbai, 10th February 2026: In a significant political realignment ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayoral election, both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have decided to support the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The move is expected to reshape the balance of power within Mumbai’s civic body and weaken the numerical advantage previously held by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

Sources indicate that despite their internal split, the two NCP groups have come together tactically to play a more influential role in Mumbai’s municipal governance. Their combined backing is set to strengthen the Shinde faction’s position in negotiations over leadership roles and key decision-making posts within the corporation.

The development also improves the leverage of the Shinde Sena and its allies in discussions with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party in the civic polls but does not command an outright majority. Power-sharing talks within the broader Mahayuti alliance — comprising the BJP, Shinde Sena and sections of the NCP — have been underway as parties prepare for the mayoral and committee elections.

The new alignment is likely to have immediate implications for influential statutory panels such as the Standing Committee and the Education Committee. These bodies play a central role in civic administration and financial decision-making. With NCP corporators expected to side with the Shinde Sena, the UBT faction’s influence in these committees could be significantly reduced.

Political observers say the arrangement highlights a broader trend in Maharashtra’s local body politics, where ideological divides are often set aside in favour of strategic collaborations aimed at consolidating power in closely contested civic institutions. In the BMC, India’s wealthiest municipal corporation, such alliances can determine control over major urban policy and spending decisions.

The BJP’s strong showing in the elections had already made post-poll partnerships essential for forming a governing structure. With the NCP factions now aligning with the Shinde-led Sena, the evolving equation signals a new phase in Mumbai’s civic power dynamics, where coalition arithmetic is set to play a decisive role in shaping the city’s administrative leadership.