Ritu Rajesh Tawde (born 18 April 1972) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the mayor of Mumbai (head of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) since February 2026. A senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she previously served as a corporator from Ghatkopar and chaired the BMC Education Committee. She is the first mayor elected after the long-delayed BMC civic polls concluded in early 2026.
Tawde began her political journey with Indian National Congress party and She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Congress in 2012 and is regarded within the party as a senior corporator and an aggressive Marathi face. She represented Ward No. 127 (Ghatkopar) as a corporator for multiple terms and currently represents Ward 132.
Following the BMC elections held in January 2026, the BJP emerged as the largest party. Ritu Tawde was nominated by the party for the mayoral post. On 7 February 2026, she won the election held at the BMC headquarters (Town Hall), defeating the opposition alliance candidate.
In her inaugural speech, she emphasized "Urban Transformation" and "Monsoon Preparedness" as her top priorities for the city.