In battle for Mumbai citadel, rival Shiv Senas slug it out to win over Ganesh mandals

With the high-stakes battle for Mumbai’s civic body looming, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and its rival Sena (UBT) are vying for the support of Ganesh mandals, the socio-political nerve centres that have traditionally served as bases for foot soldiers and voter outreach.

The Shinde-led Shiv Sena claims that many mandals are shifting allegiance due to the “unprecedented” financial assistance being provided for organising the Ganesh festival.

Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, however, has accused the rival faction of luring mandals with money.

"Who is taking away the mandals? Where will you take them? You will finally stay in Mumbai. We are not bothered by you taking away the mandals till the time we have the blessings of Ganpati bappa," Thackeray told representatives of Ganesh mandals earlier this month.

A Shiv Sena functionary asserted that Shinde’s popularity among mandals has surged due to the generous support extended by his party.

Support from the mandals—community organisations that prominently celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi—could prove crucial for the Shinde-led Sena, which is still struggling to gain a foothold in Mumbai’s political landscape, long dominated by the undivided Shiv Sena.

Mumbai hosts nearly 8,000 registered Ganesh mandals, with an estimated 14,000 unregistered ones.

These mandals, which also organise Dahi Handi, Navratri, and in some cases Saibaba festivities, are deeply intertwined with local politics, noted political analyst Abhay Deshpande.

He explained that corporators, MLAs, and MPs often play a role in supporting mandals, which largely depend on donations.

"Often, young mandal workers act as foot soldiers for political parties during elections. Alternatively, they serve as muscle power for public representatives, and every party taps into this resource," Deshpande added.

He said the mandals also hoist banners of leaders who help them.

A Sena (UBT) functionary recalled how Ganesh mandals helped a former corporator secure a Lok Sabha ticket. The corporator had donated generously, prompting mandals to display his banners prominently, catching the attention of party leadership.

Historically, the mandals were dominated by the undivided Shiv Sena.

A Sena (UBT) functionary from Lalbaug-Parel—once a stronghold of the undivided Sena—said that when the party was founded in 1966, the late Bal Thackeray had directed party workers to dominate mandals organising Ganesh, Navratri and Dahi Handi celebrations.

This led to decades of unchallenged Sena dominance over most mandals.

However, things began to shift over the past two to three years, following the party’s split and Shinde’s emergence as a new leader.

The Sena (UBT) functionary said that the Shinde-led faction has been attracting mandals with donations, and other parties like the BJP and MNS are also actively engaging with them.

"Earlier, mandals affiliated with the undivided Shiv Sena received support from party sympathisers. Since Shinde took over, donations to mandals have increased significantly, prompting many to shift allegiance," he said.

In Mumbai’s grassroots politics, corporators play a pivotal role. Over 50 former corporators have joined the Shinde-led Sena and have helped secure funding for various mandals, the Sena (UBT) functionary added.

Still, he insisted that the traditional loyalty of mandals to the original Shiv Sena remains strong.

"Money doesn’t always buy loyalty. Many mandals may have accepted financial assistance from the Shinde-led Sena, but that doesn’t mean they’ve switched sides,” he said.

A Shinde Sena functionary acknowledged that numerous mandals have approached their party.

He noted that mandals not only seek financial support but also require help with permissions for setting up pandals and completing other formalities.

"We set up a help desk four months ago to address their problems. This year, several mandals have approached us. The level of assistance given to the mandals since the last two years has been unprecedented," he said, adding that Shinde will visit pandals in Mumbai and Thane this year too.

The last elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were held in 2017.

Back then, the BJP made significant inroads into the Shiv Sena stronghold, winning 82 seats—just two short of the Shiv Sena’s tally. However, neither party reached the majority mark of 114 in the 227-member civic body.

The Congress was pushed to the third position with 31 seats, whereas the undivided NCP and the Raj Thackeray's MNS were reduced to 9 and 7 seats, respectively. AIMIM had won three seats on debut in the BMC elections, Samajwadi Party six, Akhil Bhartiya Sena one and Independents four.