Ritu Tawde Appointed as New Mayor of Mumbai's BMC, Marks Historic Departure from Past Trends

Mumbai will see a fresh face leading its its civic administration with the appointment of Ritu Tawde as the new mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Her elevation marks a historic departure from past trends, as the mayor’s post returns to an elected representative after nearly four years and shifts away from the Shiv Sena, which had dominated the position for over two decades. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Mumbai president Ameet Satam formally announced Tawde’s name as its mayoral candidate on Saturday. With the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) alliance commanding a decisive majority in the civic House, her election is widely expected to follow as a procedural outcome when voting takes place on February 11. A lottery was held on January 22 to determine the reservation status for mayoral posts across Maharashtra’s major civic bodies. For Mumbai, the draw concluded that the mayor would be a woman from the general category. Similar outcomes were recorded in Pune, Dhule, Nanded-Waghala and Navi Mumbai, all of which were also allotted women mayors from the general category. The lottery outcome narrowed the field of contenders and brought Ritu Tawde firmly into focus. Her name had already been circulating within political circles, alongside those of Shital Gambhir, Rajeshree Shirwadkar and others. Eventually, the BJP leadership settled on Tawde. Since 2022, the BMC had been functioning without elected corporators, with the Municipal Commissioner administering civic affairs. This period followed repeated delays in local body polls and prolonged political uncertainty in Maharashtra. The January 15 elections to the BMC and 28 other civic bodies across the state brought this phase to an end. In Mumbai, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member civic House. Its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, won 29 seats. Together, the alliance crossed the halfway threshold of 144 seats required to control the corporation. Ritu Tawde is not new to Mumbai’s civic politics. Her journey within the BMC began in 2012, when she was elected as a corporator from Ward No. 127. She went on to secure a second consecutive term in 2017 from Ward No. 121 in Ghatkopar, establishing herself as a familiar presence in the eastern suburbs. In the most recent civic elections held on January 15, Tawde won from Ward No. 132. Her repeated electoral successes have made her a three-term corporator with more than a decade of experience in municipal administration. Over the years, Tawde has handled several key responsibilities within the BMC. Among her most prominent roles was her tenure as chairperson of the Education Committee, where she was involved in decisions related to municipal schools, education policy and associated civic infrastructure. She has also served as vice chairperson of the Improvements Committee and held membership in other important civic bodies. Alongside her work as a corporator, Tawde has been active in organisational politics within the BJP. She has previously served as a state vice president and district president of the party’s Mahila Morcha in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs. Her involvement with women-focused political and development platforms has extended beyond party structures. According toNDTV, Tawde has been associated with the Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal as a director and has worked with initiatives linked to skill development and professional training under government-backed frameworks, including those connected to the Khadi and Village Industries sector. A recurring theme in Tawde’s public work has been social welfare, particularly programmes targeting women and economically vulnerable communities. She has organised awareness initiatives in slum settlements focusing on personal hygiene and the use of sanitary napkins. Her work has also included efforts related to the rehabilitation of child labourers, including cases identified during desilting operations along the Mithi River. In coordination with the central government and Maharashtra’s Labour Department, Tawde has functioned as a nodal agency to facilitate insurance coverage for women employed in the unorganised domestic sector under the Janashree Insurance Scheme. Skill development has been another area of engagement. Through initiatives linked to central and state schemes, she has supported training programmes for women in tailoring, embroidery and fabric painting. She has also guided first-time entrepreneurs on navigating government loan schemes and subsidy mechanisms. Through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Tawde has worked to ensure vocational training and toolkits for minority women, particularly from the Muslim community, aimed at promoting self-employment and economic independence. She has also been credited with implementing the Maharashtra government’s “Shasan Aplya Dari” initiative at the ward level. Through this programme, residents were assisted in obtaining income and domicile certificates, senior citizen cards and other essential documentation, facilitating access to welfare schemes and the completion of KYC requirements. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Tawde coordinated over 50 medical health check-up camps across her constituency. She was involved in the free distribution of medicines and the supply of food grains to vulnerable households. In addition, she has provided free guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and the Chief Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (CMEGP), assisting beneficiaries with training processes, government procedures and access to financial support. She also raised concerns over railway bridge widening projects in Ghatkopar, particularly regarding their impact on temples and hawkers along MG Road. The matter was taken up with senior state leadership, including the then-Deputy Chief Minister, following which corrective measures were initiated, reportedNDTV. In the Dongargaon area of Ghatkopar, Tawde led protests against water theft and tanker mafias after illegal pipeline tapping caused severe shortages. Her agitation prompted swift action from the municipal administration. Another high-profile campaign led by Tawde targeted objectionable public displays and mannequins that were widely perceived as degrading to women. The movement began in the Ghatkopar MG Road market and was later formally raised within the BMC through a notice of motion. Tawde is often described within party circles as an assertive Marathi leader in a region with a significant Gujarati-speaking population, a factor that party leaders privately acknowledge as a deliberate balancing effort. Her name had been under discussion for the mayor’s post for several days before the official announcement. Satam eventually declared her candidature, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Sanjay Shankar Ghadi as the alliance’s nominee for Deputy Mayor. At the nomination filing centre, Tawde articulated her approach to the role, stating, “This is an opportunity to strengthen civic governance and take public service to every doorstep in our city.” She added, “I dedicate this nomination to the people of Mumbai who have trusted me over the years.” Describing the development as a “historic moment”, she thanked the party leadership for placing its confidence in her. Satam, addressing the media, said the new leadership would work towards making Mumbai corruption-free and emphasised that the alliance would govern with the support and blessings of the city’s residents. With inputs from agencies The annual cherry blossom festival in Fujiyoshida, Japan, near Mount Fuji, has been cancelled due to severe overtourism and concerns over residents' quality of life. Authorities cited issues such as overcrowding, trespassing, littering, and safety concerns for local families as reasons for ending the decade-long event. Despite the cancellation, the city expects high visitor numbers during the cherry blossom season and is preparing for increased tourism. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.