Despite the Congress and NCP forging an alliance for the first time for the BMC election, the Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI emerged winners in India’s richest civic body with an annual budget of Rs. 22,000 crores. “This is the victory of people of Mumbai,” Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray announced. He thanked people for showing faith in his party, which has been in power in the BMC for 17 years.