top of page

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.

Confident Shinde Gets Ready

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Shinde

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appears super confident of getting back into the seat after the assembly elections. More importantly, none of the analysts, who had written him off after his rebellion against MVA government under Uddhav Thackeray, would dare to do so today.


Two and a half years ago, when the Shiv Sena fractured into two factions and Eknath Shinde aligned with the BJP, backed by 40 MLAs, many political observers viewed it as the conch-call heralding the end of his political career. The sentiment was that Shinde, as Maharashtra chief minister, would be a pawn in the hands of the BJP and his faction would soon see a mass exodus to the Uddhav Thackeray camp. But, Shinde not just defied those prophecies, but has carved out a distinct identity and presented a significant challenge to the Opposition.


Shinde’s deep understanding of the administration and deeper commitment towards the people helped him get the necessary grip over the administration. Moreover, his ability to tirelessly work round the clock and sharp memory coupled with persistence in follow-ups helped him tighten the grip and make the administration run faster. The secret of his confidence lies in this work culture that he has followed over past two years. His tireless work for the people shall sail him through the assembly polls.


Shinde was elected to the Thane municipal corporation in 1997 for the first time and became leader of party in the corporation in 2001. After the death of his mentor Anand Dighe he filled the vacuum in the party and became MLA in 2004. Those were the tough times for the Shiv Sena when first in 2005 senior leader and former CM Narayan Rane quit the party to join the Congress and in 2006 Raj Thackeray separated to float his new party. Shinde stood firm with Uddhav Thackeray in those tough times. He got rewarded, in a sense, in 2014 when his son got party ticket to contest Lok Sabha election from Kalyan, which he could comfortably win in the Modi wave.


After the BJP and the Shiv Sena contested the assembly elections separately that year and Sena joined the government latter, Shinde was given the charge of MSRDC under the PWD department. The MSRDC was entrusted with several big ticket infra projects including Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi corridor and Atal Setu. His efficiency in getting the projects through brought him closer to the then CM Devendra Fadnavis. Shide was humiliated several times by Thackeray and people close to him, which didn’t leave any option for him but to leave the party and the government. He surprised even the BJP when engineered vertical split within the Shiv Sena. Not it needs to be seen whether he is able to throw more surprises when the assembly results will be out next month.

Comments

bottom of page