Mumbai Mayor Election: BJP-Alliance Set to Appoint Woman Mayor Amid Uddhav Sena Allegations of Rigged Lottery

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The Mumbai mayor election is heating up with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance poised to appoint a woman mayor from the open category. The decision comes after the completion of the lottery-based reservation process, which has drawn criticism from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT). The party alleges that the process was rigged to favor the ruling alliance. The Shiv Sena (UBT) had hoped to secure the mayor's post for a Scheduled Tribe woman, but only two eligible candidates from Uddhav Thackeray's party made it to the list. The party claims that the government changed the rules for reservation in favor of the ruling alliance, which has left the opposition reeling. Amid the ongoing tussle for power in civic bodies across Maharashtra, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader has appealed to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction to support the Uddhav Thackeray faction's candidate instead of the BJP in the BMC mayoral election. The leader claims that this would be a tribute to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray in his 100th centenary year. The BMC election results saw the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) with 65 seats. The outcome has sparked a heated debate, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) alleging that the lottery process was fixed to benefit the ruling alliance. In other parts of Maharashtra, 17 municipal corporations will have mayors selected from the open category, with several women in the running. The selection process has drawn attention, with many civic bodies set to have women mayors from the open category. An official has confirmed that Thane will have a mayor from the Scheduled Caste category, while Jalgaon, Chandrapur, and other cities will have mayors from the OBC category.