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BMC Elections 2026 | Sena vs Sena: The Battle For 10 Key Wards That Will Determine Who Rules The Marathi Heartland

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Mumbai: As Mumbai gears up for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on January 15, 2026, the city is witnessing a historic realignment. For the first time, the ‘Thackeray’ brand has seen a reconciliation, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS forming a strategic alliance to secure the Marathi Manoos vote bank.

Opposing them is the formidable Mahayuti combine, where Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, backed by the BJP, aims to prove that the ‘real’ Sena is the one delivering development. With the Marathi identity at the centre of the campaign, here are 10 key battleground wards where the Sena-vs-Sena conflict might determine who truly holds the key to the Marathi heartland.

Often called the ‘centre’ of Sena politics, this is Aaditya Thackeray’s home turf. The split here is personal; while UBT retains stalwarts like Kishori Pednekar, the Shinde faction has poached sitting former corporators like Samadhan Sarvankar. It is a prestige battle for the Thackeray legacy.

Dadar is the birthplace of the Shiv Sena. With the Sena UBT-MNS alliance, the Thackeray cousins are aiming to consolidate the traditional Marathi votes in areas like Shivaji Park. Shinde’s Sena is countering this with a heavy focus on local redevelopment promises.

The heart of the former mill land, this ward is the quintessential Marathi bastion. Historically loyal to the ‘Bow and Arrow,’ the voters here are now torn between the emotional appeal of Matoshree and the administrative power of the current Deputy Chief Minister.

A massive suburban Marathi stronghold where the Sena has never lost its grip. This ward will test whether the ground-level Shakha workers stayed with Uddhav or migrated to Shinde for better resources.

In the northern tip of the city, Dahisar’s Marathi population has traditionally balanced the scales. It is a high-intensity zone where the Shinde faction has made significant inroads through infrastructure projects recently.

A mix of middle-class housing and slums, this ward saw a glimpse of the rivalry during the 2022 polls. It remains a litmus test for the MVA-MNS combine’s ability to hold the Marathi-speaking labour class.

Chembur has a dense Marathi-speaking pocket that has consistently sent Sena corporators to the BMC. The battle here is over who can claim the heritage of Balasaheb Thackeray more convincingly.

While Ghatkopar has a large Gujarati population, the Marathi areas in Pant Nagar are decisive. The Shinde faction is leaning on its alliance with the BJP here to squeeze the UBT-MNS combine.

Directly adjacent to Matoshree, this ward is a matter of survival for the Sena UBT. Any loss here would be a major blow to the Thackeray family’s local influence.

Though often viewed as a BJP fortress, the Marathi areas in Mulund are the ‘swing’ voters. The Sena UBT-MNS alliance is betting big on these voters to disrupt the Mahayuti’s dominance.

As the campaign enters its final stretch, the narrative is clear: Eknath Shinde is campaigning on Double-Engine development, while the Thackeray alliance is invoking the spirit of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement and Marathi Asmita (pride). On January 16, Mumbai will finally know who the Marathi Manoos has chosen as their true guardian.

Maharashtra

Hateful statements, obscenity in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated, strict action will be taken: Mayor Ritu Tawde

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Mumbai: The hospital administration has formed an inquiry committee in the case of hate speech made by Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, in the live show of stand-up comedian Preneet More. Hate speech in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated. The hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has clarified.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has reacted strongly to the entire incident and has appealed to artists and content creators to be aware of social responsibility. Two clips of stand-up comedian Preneet More’s show that are going viral on social media are causing great anger among the citizens. In the first clip, a man named Himanshu Jagda narrated an incident of degrading treatment of a woman, while in the second clip, Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, made extremely hateful, obscene and offensive comments about the bodies of men who had donated their bodies for medical education. In both these cases, comedian Praneet laughed and clapped instead of objecting. Taking notice of the insensitivity in both these clips, the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Police took immediate action and registered a case. Clarifying the municipal corporation’s stand on the matter and fully supporting the legal action, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde explained that the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Department has taken action. Apart from this, the KEM Hospital administration has also appointed a committee to investigate Sejal Pawar. The Mayor clarified that the hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter. Mayor Tawde further said that freedom of expression is a very important part of democracy, but in the name of this freedom, content that insults women, obscenity, hate speech, hateful content or content that sends the wrong message to the society cannot be accepted under any circumstances. Everyone should respect boundaries while discussing sensitive issues related to women, consent and the medical sector in a public forum. Mumbai is a city of culture, art and freedom of thought. However, it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure that no one’s dignity is violated in the name of entertainment. Since social media has a great influence on the youth, the impact of such content on society should be seriously considered. Everyone should be sensitive to this. All artists, digital content creators and social media influencers should preserve their creative talents while maintaining a sense of social interest, sensitivity and morality. Citizens should also behave responsibly on social media and strongly oppose things that promote hatred, obscenity and anti-women mentality, Ritu Tawde has also appealed on this occasion.

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Maharashtra

MLA Abu Asim Azmi demands Interior Minister to allow Muharram sermons and gatherings until 9pm

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Mumbai: In view of the importance of the holy days of Muharram, the time of public religious speeches, sermons and gatherings held during this period should be extended from 10 am to 12 pm, MLA Abu Asim Azmi has sent a memorandum to the state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, making this strong demand.

MLA Azmi has said in his letter that public speeches, sermons and gatherings are organized in different areas at night during Muharram, in which a large number of devotees participate. Currently, Maghrib prayers are offered at around 7 pm, after which a lot of time is spent until the Isha prayers are completed. The police administration is currently allowing only up to 10 pm, due to which very little time is required for the actual program after the prayers. Due to this shortage of time, there is anxiety among Muslims and they are not able to fully benefit from these religious speeches.

In view of this situation, with full respect for law and order, this time should be extended till 12 midnight for the scheduled dates of Muharram. MLA Abu Asim Azmi has demanded that the Home Minister himself intervene in the matter and immediately issue positive orders to the police administration. Copies of this memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Minister and Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) Devin Bharti for necessary action.

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Maharashtra

Mira Road C-Queen Palace Orchestra Bar raided, 12 women recovered, 9 arrested

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A team led by DCP Rahul Chavan of Mira Road Police Commissionerate, Circle 1, raided the Sea Queen Palace Orchestra Bar in front of Daraz Dhaba on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway under the limits of Kashigaon Police Station on Mira Road. During the raid, the police rescued 12 women. A cashier and 8 waiters were arrested, including the driver, owner and manager of the bar who are absconding. During the raid, Rs 50,000 in cash was seized. Along with this, illegal stocks of whiskey and beer were seized. Further investigation is underway in the case. It is said that an illegal dance and entertainment party was going on in the bar. During this, the police raided and arrested the accused and also released 12 dancers.

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