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.

Discord and Doubts

Updated: Nov 25, 2024

MVA

With barely 48 hours left for the results of the fiercely contested Assembly polls, serious cracks seem to be appearing within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Solapur in western Maharashtra. A bitter feud has erupted between the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), raising questions about the coalition’s unity throughout the election and its ability to challenge the BJP’s formidable machinery.


The Solapur South assembly seat has become a theatre of major discord within the MVA, strongly reminiscent of the bickering between the Congress and the Sena (UBT) over the Sangli Lok Sabha seat during the parliamentary election in May this year.


On polling day on November 20, Congress veteran Sushilkumar Shinde and his daughter, Solapur MP Praniti Shinde, threw their weight behind Dharmaraj Kadadi, an independent candidate, instead of supporting Amar Patil, the Sena (UBT)’s nominee who was the official MVA candidate.


Shinde justified his move citing Kadadi’s strong local connect and the Congress’ historical dominance in the constituency, while taking a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT)’s “unfounded claim” over the seat – a replay of the Sangli fiasco during the Lok Sabha.


Predictably, this drew sharp reactions from the Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Thackeray camp accusing Praniti Shinde of ‘betrayal,’ with party deputy leader Sharad Koli leading a vitriolic attack, calling for her expulsion from the MVA alliance. Koli went as far as alleging that Shinde had received BJP backing for her decision.


The Sena (UBT) is seething with rage at the Shindes’ behaviour given that Uddhav Thackeray had vigorously campaigned for Praniti during the Lok Sabha.


The fallout is emblematic of the MVA’s coordination problems and is particularly glaring given that a section of exit polls seem to favour the ruling Mahayuti on counting day of November 23.


Be that as may, exit polls have been frequently – and spectacularly – wrong in recent times, as evinced in the recent Haryana election result.


Meanwhile, the big question in another corner of western Maharashtra - Pimpri-Chinchwad, a former NCP stronghold is whether Deputy CM Ajit Pawar - is whether the Mahayuti have succeeded in controlling schisms within their fold.


Known for its history of electing strong independents, this industrial belt in Pune district has always been a political wildcard. However, for the first time in 15 years, this election saw the Bhosari and Chinchwad Assembly constituencies lack formidable independent contenders - a development that could lead to unpredictable outcomes.


In Chinchwad, NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Nana Kate, initially set to run as an independent, withdrew under party pressure. Similarly, in Bhosari, former corporator Ravi Landge, now with Shiv Sena (UBT), also stepped back. However, Bhausaheb Bhoir, a Mahayuti rebel, contested as an independent.


In the Chinchwad seat, the contest is between the BJP’s Shankar Jagtap (brother of deceased Chinchwad strongman Laxman Jagtap) and Rahul Kalate of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).


Jagtap was contesting the assembly election for the first time while Kalate had twice contested the election unsuccessfully. Will the independent Bhoir queer the Mahayuti’s pitch?


In Bhosari, BJP MLA Mahesh Landge faced a tough battle against his rival and relative, Ajit Gavhane of the NCP (SP), who appeared to make late gains in Landge’s stronghold.


As the votes are counted on November 23, the results in this belt will depend on how well the Mahayuti has managed the byzantine intrigue in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Comments

bottom of page