The results of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 have delivered major setbacks to several senior leaders, with BJP Mumbai vice-president and former Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, Ravi Raja, suffering a significant defeat. Raja, who joined the BJP after spending 44 years with the Congress, lost from his stronghold in Ward No. 185 in Dharavi. Shiv Sena UBT candidate TM Jagadish defeated him in the contest.
Ravi Raja was one of the most senior leaders in the Mumbai Congress and had been elected corporator five consecutive times. He was considered to have a strong hold over the Kurla–Dharavi belt. After being denied a ticket by the Congress for the 2024 Assembly elections, Raja switched to the BJP. The party later appointed him as Mumbai vice-president and fielded him from Ward 185. However, the election results suggest that voters did not favour his defection.
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A three-cornered contest was witnessed in Ward 185 between Shiv Sena UBT candidate TM Jagadish, BJP’s Ravi Raja and Congress candidate Kamlesh Chitroda. The Dharavi redevelopment project emerged as a key issue during the campaign. Discontent among local residents appears to have worked in favour of the Thackeray faction, helping Jagadish defeat an experienced leader like Raja.
During the campaign, Ravi Raja highlighted his 25 years of political experience, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) focused on the narrative of loyalty versus betrayal. Raja’s defeat is being seen not only as a personal setback but also as a significant blow to the Mumbai BJP, with the party failing to convert his political experience into electoral success.