Bhubaneswar: Exit polls for the 227-ward Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) indicate a clear edge for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, projecting between 131 and 151 seats—well above the 114 required for a simple majority. If borne out by the final results due on Friday, the mandate would pave the way for Mumbai’s first BJP mayor.
According to the Axis My India exit poll, the Mahayuti’s performance reflects broad-based urban support, with the alliance leading among North Indian, South Indian, and Gujarati voters. The Shiv Sena (UBT), in alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), is projected to secure 58–68 seats, drawing its strongest backing from Marathi voters. The Congress and its allies are estimated to win a modest 12–16 seats.
Other surveys, including those by Sakal and JVC, broadly corroborate Axis My India’s projections, pointing to a decisive preference for development-centric governance in India’s financial capital. Voter turnout stood at around 50 percent, a factor analysts say may have favoured the incumbent state-level dispensation and its urban agenda.
The projected outcome marks a significant political shift in Mumbai’s civic politics, traditionally dominated by regional parties. A Mahayuti victory would not only consolidate the BJP’s urban footprint but also reshape power equations within the country’s richest municipal body, which commands a budget rivaling several Indian states.
All eyes are now on Friday’s official count to see whether the exit poll momentum translates into a historic mandate at the BMC.
-OdishaAge
