Mumbai is poised for high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on January 15, 2026, with vote counting set for January 16. These civic polls are widely considered an "acid test" and a "make-or-break" moment for Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (UBT) faction. This election marks the first BMC battle for Shiv Sena (UBT) since the dramatic split of the undivided Shiv Sena in June 2022, which saw the Eknath Shinde faction gain control of the party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol. The Thackeray family's deep connection to Mumbai makes control of the BMC, India's richest civic body, crucial for their political future. Uddhav Thackeray faces significant challenges, including a weakened party network and depleted resources, as many ground-level workers and corporators defected to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance presents a formidable opposition, aiming to wrest control of the BMC. In a significant political development, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray have reunited after two decades to contest these polls. Their alliance aims to consolidate Marathi votes and revive the narrative of 'Marathi Asmita' (Marathi pride), particularly in the birth centenary year of Balasaheb Thackeray. However, the Congress, a former ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, has declared its intention to contest independently in Mumbai, further fragmenting the opposition vote. Uddhav Thackeray has also raised allegations of a "Rs 3 lakh crore scam" within the BMC, linked to advance payments to contractors and unopposed candidate wins by ruling parties, calling for their cancellation. The BMC elections are part of a larger round of polling for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, held after a delay of over six years.