Mumbai, Feb 7 (PTI) The BJP is set to install its first mayor in Mumbai, ending the Thackeray's 25-year dominance in the civic body, with party corporator Ritu Tawde filing her nomination for the election to the top post on Saturday.

Shiv Sena, the saffron party's ally in the Mahayuti, has declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post.

Tawde and Ghadi filed their nominations at the municipal secretary's office in the presence of Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, BJP's Mumbai unit chief Amit Satam, former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, and other leaders of Mahayuti.

Ghadi, a corporator from Ward 5, will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, Shiv Sena secretary Sanjay More has said in a statement.

He was one of the senior Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators who switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

By splitting the deputy mayor's term in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena intends to give opportunities to four more of its corporators.

Elections will be held on February 11, which is also the last day of withdrawing the nominations.

BJP mayor candidate Tawde joined the saffron party in 2012 and was elected as a corporator the same year.

During her first term as corporator, she chaired the Education Committee and was actively involved in raising issues related to local infrastructure, water supply and public safety.

The two-term corporator from Ghatokpar East (ward 132) was in the limelight during her last tenure for raising the issue of objectionable clothes on mannequins in shops.

Addressing a press conference, Satam said Mumbai is set to get a BJP mayor after 44 years.

He said the ruling Mahayuti would work to free the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from the clutches of corruption.

"Everyone has the freedom to file nomination papers. We have the backing of 118 corporators and the support of more members," he said.

The BJP leader said the Mahayuti had asserted from day one that Mumbai's mayor would be a Marathi and a Hindu, and pointed out that the city will now get "a Marathi, Malvani, Konkani and Hindu mayor".

Satam said the Shiv Sena may have kept the deputy mayor's tenure for 15 months to give opportunities to more party workers.

In the polls to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The ruling alliance, with a combined strength of 118 corporators, is well past the halfway mark of 114 and is well placed to secure the mayor's post.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which ruled the civic body for 25 years since 1997, won 65 seats, while its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) won six and one seat, respectively.

Among other parties, the Congress won 24 seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) three, and the Samajwadi Party two. Two independent candidates also won in the high-stakes election, held after a nine-year gap.

The BMC commissioner has been serving as the state government-appointed administrator since March 7, 2022, following the end of the previous term.

The BMC is the country's richest civic body, with its budget for the 2025-26 pegged at Rs 74,450 crore, which is higher than that of some smaller states. PTI KK PR ARU