Thackeray Faction May Get Mumbai Mayor Post Due to ST Reservation

• The Mumbai Mayoral post is currently a point of contention between the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and BJP.
• A lottery for Mayoral post reservations in 29 Municipal Corporations will be held on Thursday.
• If the Mumbai Mayor's post is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, the Mahayuti (BJP-Shinde alliance) has no elected corporators from this category.
• The Shiv Sena (UBT) has two elected ST corporators: Jitendra Valvi (Ward No. 53) and Priyadarshini Thackeray (Ward No. 121).
• If the post is reserved for ST, a Thackeray faction candidate could become Mayor unopposed, despite the Mahayuti having the numbers.

Why It Matters: An ST reservation for Mumbai Mayor could lead to a Thackeray faction candidate winning unopposed.