4 min readMumbaiApr 1, 2026 07:30 PM IST
First published on: Apr 1, 2026 at 07:30 PM IST
With the appointment of senior IAS officer Ashwini Bhide as the first-ever woman commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Mahayuti government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has again attempted to break gender stereotypes.
“Bhide, who is currently posted as a principal secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), was shortlisted based on her merit and experience in executing mega infrastructure projects in Mumbai. However, Fadnavis also wanted to send a strong message by appointing her as the first woman to lead the BMC. Despite Maharashtra having had several prominent women bureaucrats over the decades, the BMC has never had a woman commissioner,” sources said. They added that both Deputy Chief Ministers — Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar — were consulted before the formal announcement of Bhide’s name as the new BMC commissioner.
Claiming that Fadnavis has always believed in “equality”, a senior BJP leader said the lack of women in top positions in key organisations had “upset the CM”.
Push for women empowerment
This is not the first time that Fadnavis has elevated women bureaucrats to top positions in the state. In January 2024, while serving as the Deputy CM with the Home portfolio in the then Shinde-led government, he appointed IPS officer Rashmi Shukla as the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra.
A 1988-batch IPS officer, Shukla previously served as the Additional Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal in 2023 and the Central Reserve Police Force in 2021. She has also served as the Police Commissioner of Pune and headed the State Intelligence Bureau.
In June 2024, Fadnavis was said to have mooted the proposal of IAS officer Sujata Saunik’s appointment as the first woman Chief Secretary of the state, which was approved by then CM Shinde.
What worked in Bhide’s favour?
Apart from being a prominent woman bureaucrat, sources said Fadnavis wanted a “trusted and capable administrator” at the helm of the BMC, the country’s richest civic body, which earlier this year got its first BJP Mayor, Ritu Tawde.
“With victory comes greater responsibility. We cannot afford to falter in delivering on promises such as transforming Mumbai. Fadnavis was looking for someone with strong administrative experience and a deep commitment to public service,” a source said.
A former minister in the previous Congress-NCP government pointed out that women bureaucrats like Chitkala Zutshi, Chandra Iyengar, and Medha Gadgil were given key roles, but admitted that positions such as Chief Secretary and BMC Commissioner were traditionally held by men.
Women representation in Maharashtra
With the Centre looking for implementation of women’s reservation law, the state BJP dispensation also seems to be preparing for it. Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan recently included 10 women in his 43-member team.
The women’s reservation policy in the state, calling for 33% reservation for women in local bodies, was introduced in 1994 by then CM Sharad Pawar. This quota has since been increased to 50%.
Since the formation of Maharashtra on May 1, 1960, women’s representation in the Cabinet has remained low. Successive governments have typically included only a few women ministers.
In the current 288-member state Assembly, there are 21 women MLAs across parties — 14 from the BJP, two from Shiv Sena, four from the NCP, and one from the Congress.
In the 43-member Fadnavis Cabinet, there are five women ministers — three Cabinet ministers and two Ministers of State. Of these, three — Pankaja Munde, Meghana Bordikar, and Madhuri Misal — are from the BJP, while Sunetra Pawar and Aditi Tatkare represent the NCP.