Mumbai's Civic Elections See Non-Marathi Representation Hold Steady
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections have concluded with a familiar pattern emerging. Despite intense campaigning centered on Marathi identity, the migrant population continues to exert significant influence on Mumbai's civic politics. The results show 78 non-Marathi corporators elected to the 227-seat house. This represents just over one-third of the total seats.
The number marks a marginal increase from the previous term. In 2017, 76 non-Marathi corporators were elected. The latest figures indicate little change despite the sharper focus on linguistic identity during the campaign period.
Party-Wise Breakdown Reveals Distinct Patterns
A detailed analysis of party performance shows how different political formations depend on non-Marathi voters. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerges as the single largest party in the new house. It also shows the strongest non-Marathi presence among its ranks.
Of the BJP's 89 corporators, 38 come from non-Marathi backgrounds. This accounts for 42.7 percent of their total elected members. The party's strong performance in linguistically mixed suburban areas contributes to this pattern.
Both factions of the Shiv Sena remain largely rooted in Marathi-speaking voters. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) has 7 non-Marathi corporators among its 65 winners. The Eknath Shinde-led Sena has 5 non-Marathi corporators out of 29 elected members. These numbers reinforce the Sena's continued emphasis on Marathi identity in its political messaging.
The Indian National Congress presents a contrasting picture. Of its 24 corporators, 16 come from non-Marathi backgrounds. This highlights the party's reliance on migrant and minority-heavy pockets within the city.
A similar trend appears in the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. The party won 8 seats, with 7 of those corporators being non-Marathi. The Nationalist Congress Party, which secured three seats, returned only Marathi corporators.
Historical Context of Migrant Representation
Non-Marathi communities once held a strong grip over the Bombay Municipal Corporation. In the decades following Independence, Gujaratis, Parsis, Marwaris, Muslims, Christians and South Indians were prominent in civic politics.
Though non-Marathis made up about 58 percent of Mumbai's population in the 1960s, they accounted for nearly 45 percent of corporators by the mid-1970s. Between Independence and 1968, 15 of the city's 21 mayors came from non-Marathi backgrounds.
This began to change with the rise of the Shiv Sena from the late 1960s. By building strong neighbourhood networks and mobilising Marathi voters, the Sena turned Marathi identity into a central theme of civic politics. Over time, non-Marathi representation fell steadily, touching a low of 28 percent in 2012, even as migration to Mumbai continued.
Demographic Shifts and Political Effects
Census data reveals important demographic trends. While Marathi remains the most widely spoken language in Mumbai, the Hindi-speaking population has grown much faster than any other group since the 1970s. Gujarati speakers have grown more slowly, while Urdu speakers have also seen steady increases.
The political effect of this shift became clear after 2014. In the 2017 BMC elections, 76 non-Marathi corporators were elected, making up 33 percent of the house, up from 28 percent in 2012. The current house, with 78 non-Marathi corporators, reflects the same trend.
This rise in non-Marathi representation sharpened language-based campaigning ahead of elections, especially by parties such as the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. At the same time, it helped the Bharatiya Janata Party consolidate support among migrant voters, whose numbers have grown steadily.
Changing Political Dynamics
With the BJP in power at the Centre, the party has been more comfortable projecting itself as pro-migrant in Mumbai, even as the Sena's earlier anti-migrant tone has softened. The BJP has also promoted more non-Marathi leaders in the city than in the past, giving migrant communities greater political confidence and visibility.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently addressed the issue of Marathi identity in political discourse. He stated that the BJP was not on the defensive regarding Marathi pride. "Since we are a pan-India party, we don't aggressively project regional pride," Fadnavis explained. "In every election, they try to push emotive issues as they have nothing to counter my development agenda. We are not defensive on Marathi issues. We are batting on the front foot."
Non-Marathi Representation Over the Years
The historical data shows interesting patterns in non-Marathi representation:
- 1972: 59 non-Marathi corporators out of 140 seats (42.1%)
- 1978: 64 non-Marathi corporators out of 140 seats (45.7%)
- 1985: 59 non-Marathi corporators out of 170 seats (34.7%)
- 1992: 68 non-Marathi corporators out of 221 seats (30.8%)
- 1997: 67 non-Marathi corporators out of 221 seats (30.3%)
- 2002: 71 non-Marathi corporators out of 227 seats (31.2%)
- 2007: 74 non-Marathi corporators out of 227 seats (32.6%)
- 2012: 64 non-Marathi corporators out of 227 seats (28.2%)
- 2017: 76 non-Marathi corporators out of 227 seats (33.0%)
- 2026: 78 non-Marathi corporators out of 227 seats (34.4%)
The latest election results continue a trend of gradual recovery in non-Marathi representation since the 2012 low point. The numbers suggest that Mumbai's diverse population continues to find political expression despite campaigns focused on regional identity.
