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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

Ajit Pawar questions aunt joining campaign

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

Pratibha Pawar

Mumbai: As Pratibha Pawar, wife of NCP (SP) boss Sharad Pawar steps out of the shadows to support her husband’s battle, an upset Ajit Pawar reacts saying Pratibha kaki didn't campaign in past, how is she doing it now.


Faced with Ajit Pawar’s revolt against Sharad Pawar for a second time, Pratibha Pawar has extended support to Yugendra Pawar, Ajit’s nephew and Sharad Pawar’s chosen candidate in Baramati, in a battle that pits nephew against uncle. The electoral scene in Baramati has intensified. The race has drawn significant attention, especially with Ajit's aunt, Pratibha Pawar, campaigning for her grandnephew Yugendra, despite traditionally abstaining from any political events.


The deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is locked in an electoral battle against his nephew Yugendra, on Saturday said his aunt Pratibha Pawar never campaigned in the past but is doing so for his rival now. Addressing a rally here, Ajit Pawar, the head of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), sought to know his aunt's "sudden affinity" towards her grandnephew Yugendra, who has been fielded by her husband Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) from the family's home turf.


Election fever has reached its peak in Baramati in the last phase of the campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls with both - the ruling NCP as well as opposition NCP (SP) leaving no stone unturned. Family members on both sides of the divide are currently reaching out to voters.


Sharad Pawar's wife Pratibha, who generally keeps away from politics, and Supriya Sule's daughter Revati are also campaigning for Yugendra, who is the son of Ajit Pawar's brother. This is the first assembly election after the NCP' split in July last year.


According to Ajit Pawar, “From 1991, I have contested the election and been elected as MLA. Did you see Pratibha kaki coming for campaigning? So how come sudden affinity is shown towards the grandnephew, I fail to understand. I will ask Pratibha kaki about this once the elections are over.”

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