Maharashtra | 22 January 2026

Maharashtra is preparing for a major leadership change in its civic bodies as the reservation draw for mayoral posts in 29 municipal corporations was held on Thursday. Under the rotational system, Mumbai is set to have a woman mayor from the open category, while Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC), Bhiwandi, and Dhule are also expected to get women mayors from the same category.

The draw also decided that Thane and Bhiwandi-Nizampur will have mayors from the SC category, while other civic bodies like Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Akola, Panvel, and Ulhasnagar will have mayors from the OBC category. Of these, Chandrapur, Ichalkaranji, Akola, and Jalgaon will have women mayors from the OBC category.

However, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has raised objections to the reservation process. Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar alleged that the system was manipulated to favour the ruling alliance. She claimed the government changed the reservation rules for the ST category at the last moment, and deliberately excluded Mumbai from the ST category since only Sena (UBT) has two councillors from the ST community in the city.

The government has denied these allegations. Madhuri Misal, minister of state for the Urban Development Department, said the reservation process was conducted strictly according to rules. She dismissed the Sena’s claims as baseless and said the party wanted the reservation to be convenient for them. Once the reservation is finalised, a special meeting of the BMC house will be held to announce the mayoral election schedule, expected around January 28 or 29.

 Women to Lead Mumbai and Pune: Shiv Sena (UBT) Calls Quota Draw “Rigged”

The reservation draw for mayors in 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra was held on Thursday, and it has been announced that Mumbai will get a woman mayor from the open category. Along with Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC), Bhiwandi, and Dhule will also have women mayors from the open category. This decision has stirred debate and political tension across the state.

The draw also revealed that Thane and Bhiwandi-Nizampur will have mayors from the SC category. Several other cities like Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Akola, Panvel, and Ulhasnagar will have mayors from the OBC category. Among them, Chandrapur, Ichalkaranji, Akola, and Jalgaon will have women mayors from the OBC category.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has objected strongly, claiming the reservation process was “rigged” to favour the ruling alliance. Former mayor Kishori Pednekar said the rules were changed at the last moment for the ST category. She alleged that Mumbai was deliberately kept out of the ST quota because Sena (UBT) has two ST councillors in the city.

The government, however, rejected these claims. Madhuri Misal, the minister of state for Urban Development, said the process was fair and followed the rules. She added that the Sena’s objections had no strong evidence. After the reservation announcement, the BMC will hold a special meeting to start the election process, likely around January 28 or 29.