In preparation for the 2025 Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has taken a significant step by appointing former minister and senior leader Nawab Malik as the head of the Mumbai election management committee. This crucial responsibility was announced by NCP state president and MP Sunil Tatkare. This decision was made with the consent of party national president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state president Sunil Tatkare. Nawab Malik has previously led the NCP in Mumbai as its president and is recognized as an experienced, grounded, and influential leader.
The committee, formed under the leadership of Nawab Malik, includes several key NCP leaders. These include Mumbai Working Presidents Shivajirao Nalawade and Siddharth Kamble, MLAs Sana Malik-Sheikh, former MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui, state general secretary Santosh Dhuwali, state vice president Bhaskar Vichare, state spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare, and senior official Raju Ghuge. Additionally, as invited members, Mahendra Pansare from South Mumbai, Ajay Vichare from North-West, Arshad Amir from North-Central, Indrapal Singh from North Mumbai, and Suresh Bhalerao from North-East have also been included in the committee.
The BMC has a total of 227 seats. In the 2017 elections, Shiv Sena secured 84 seats, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 82 seats, while Congress got 31, NCP got 9, and MNS got 7 seats. The election was a close contest between Shiv Sena and BJP, but neither party could achieve a clear majority. Therefore, the 2025 elections are expected to be even more interesting.
A major political shift occurred in Maharashtra in 2023 when Ajit Pawar rebelled against Sharad Pawar’s NCP and supported the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Subsequently, the Election Commission recognized the Ajit Pawar faction as the ‘real NCP’ and granted them the party name and symbol. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar’s faction now stands with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.
Shiv Sena has also split into two factions. The Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is in power, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray is in opposition. Due to these divisions, the politics of alliances and seat calculations in the BMC elections have become very complicated.
The BJP has already made it clear that it plans to contest the upcoming BMC elections independently, aiming to contest over 150 seats. The party has received internal feedback that the image of its allies, especially the Shinde faction and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, may be damaged due to corruption allegations and controversies against their leaders. Thus, the BJP is pursuing its autonomous strategy in the local elections.
The BJP has previously raised objections regarding Nawab Malik. In 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in a money laundering case allegedly linked to a controversial land deal related to the underworld. Devendra Fadnavis himself wrote a letter against Nawab Malik in the assembly elections, appealing to Ajit Pawar not to include him in the Mahayuti. Despite all opposition, the NCP has now entrusted him with the command of the election strategy.
Despite controversies, Nawab Malik remains a strong leader within the NCP. He is known for his good hold among the minority community, especially the Muslim and North Indian vote bank. His experience in navigating the electoral equations in a multilingual and culturally diverse city like Mumbai can prove beneficial for the party.
The 2025 BMC election is clearly taking the shape of a triangular contest:
1. On one side is the ruling alliance of the BJP, the Shinde faction, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
2. On the other side is the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena UBT, Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
3. And on the third side are MNS and other smaller parties who are trying to strengthen their respective positions.
Amidst all these equations, Nawab Malik’s return and strategic appointment clearly indicate that the NCP is going to enter the electoral arena with full force and aggression.