As many as 32 of the 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Elections are set to witness a direct contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–Shiv Sena alliance led by Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)–Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine, with no strong third-front candidate in the fray, news agency PTI reported.

This situation has emerged as the Congress–Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) alliance has not fielded candidates in these seats. While Mahayuti partners BJP and the Shiv Sena have joined hands for BMC Election 2026, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-led MNS have come together, citing the need to “preserve” the Marathi language and culture.