3 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 3, 2026 1:22 PM IST
The BJP and Shiv Sena, led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, on Monday appointed their respective group leaders in BMC and completed the formal registration of the group at Konkan Bhavan.
The BJP named Dahisar corporator Ganesh Khankar as its group leader in the BMC, while the Shiv Sena named Wadala corporator Amey Ghole as its group leader.
The announcement was made after elected representatives of the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) met at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters before heading to Konkan Bhavan to register their groups with the Konkan divisional commissioner.
Senior BJP leaders including Bombay BJP president Amit Satam and state minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present during the proceedings.
As part of the deal, three corporators from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party extended their support to the Shiv Sena group, increasing its strength from 29 to 32 members in the 227-member civic body.
Despite securing a clear numerical advantage alongside their alliance partners, the group’s registration process had been delayed due to differences over whether to opt for joint or separate registrations.
Khankar, a first-time corporator from Ward 7 (Dahisar), is also the BJP general secretary in Mumbai. He is regarded within party circles for his organizational ability and electoral management skills. In the BMC elections, Khankar defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Saurabh Ghosalkar.
Amey Ghole, the newly appointed Shiv Sena group leader, is a two-time Wadala corporator and is considered a young but experienced face within the party. During his tenure in the undivided Shiv Sena, Ghole served as chairman of the BMC’s Health Committee, where he played a key role in shaping public health initiatives. He also holds the position of general secretary of Yuva Sena, the party’s youth wing, and is known for his strong grassroots connections across Mumbai.
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Ghole, who was previously considered close to Aaditya Thackeray, joined the Shiv Sena in 2023 following the party’s split and is widely regarded as a trusted aide to the Deputy Chief Minister. Eknath Shinde.
He won the recent BMC elections from Wadala with a margin of over 11,000 votes.
Ghole’s appointment as the group’s leader was formally announced by former MP and Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale.
Meanwhile, other parties including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and AIMIM had already completed registrations of their groups with the Konkan divisional commissioner.
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With the completion of group registrations by the BJP and Shiv Sena, the formal process to elect the mayor, deputy mayor and form the standing committee and other civic committees is expected to begin soon. The post of BMC mayor is reserved for a candidate from the open category.
While BJP leaders have claimed that the party will claim the post of mayor as the largest party in the civic body, the name of the mayoral candidate is yet to be finalized. According to sources, the Shiv Sena is likely to be offered the post of deputy mayor along with key committee posts, excluding the standing committee.
