Devendra Fadnavis: 'Mumbai will have a Hindu and Marathi Mayor' in upcoming BMC polls

Speaking at the India Today Mumbai Manthan 2026 event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis outlined his agenda ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Fadnavis asserted that the next mayor from the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will be a Hindu and a Marathi. He addressed the state's political dynamics, including his alliance with Eknath Shinde, and dismissed the influence of the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray factor. On urban development, Fadnavis promised a slum-free Mumbai within seven to eight years through the Dharavi redevelopment project and compared the city's traffic favorably to Delhi's, citing disciplined drivers. He also discussed the government's approach to illegal immigration, stating they have 'reverse engineered' the methods of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to facilitate deportation. Additionally, Fadnavis commented on corruption allegations concerning the Meethi River cleaning project involving actor Dino Morea as a contractor, affirming that no one would be spared. He concluded by reaffirming his 'Nation First' philosophy.