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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.

Dynasty Descendants

Rebels, multi-cornered contests and dynasts – that’s the overriding theme of the Assembly elections that are coming up this month. Of the 4000 plus candidates in the fray, more than 20 are related to current and former politicians. No political party, despite making loadedstatements about not supporting dynasties, is an exception to this trend.


Dynasts, it is believed, have ‘elective value’ with a ready support base, dedicated cadre, the goodwill the family may carry in the constituency and a familiar surname. Sons, daughters, nephews, nieces and in-laws are making their electoral debut in an election which is being fought more on allegations, accusations and changing loyalties than an ideology or development plans. If some offspring remain in the relative’s party, others are trying their luck in different parties with even siblings being split by political alliances.


PART - 1


Rohit Patil, NCP (SP)

At 25, he is among the youngest candidates this time. A graduate in management studies, Rohit is banking on the immense goodwill earned by his father, R.R. Patil, or Aba, the former home minister of Maharashtra. Tasgaon Kavathe-Mahankal, the constituency his father represented since 1990, was later held by Rohit’s mother Suman after her husband’s death. Rohit has worked with the NCP (SP) and is earning political experience by working with milk cooperatives and local bodies in his constituency.


Yugendra Pawar, NCP (SP)

With the Pawar surname and his great uncle Sharad Pawar actively campaigning for him, Yugendra, 33, has got a dream start that debutante politicians can only dream of. A graduate in business administration from Boston, Yugendra must have grown up listening to stories of the state’s political landscape given that his father Shrinivas and uncle Ajit Pawar are known to be very close as siblings. In his first ever election, Yugendra is up against his uncle Ajit, a seasoned and influential politician.


Bhagyashree Atram, NCP (SP)

In what made for juicy political drama, the 43-year-old daughter for minister Dharmaraobaba Atram, who is now with Ajit Pawar’s NCP, defied her father to contest against him on an NCP (SP) ticket. She’s a former president of the Gadchiroli zilla parishad and with her nomination, the Atram family will see three members of the family contesting from the Aheri constituency from different political parties.


Chitralekha Patil, PWP

The 37-year-old daughter-in-law of Jayant Patil, president of the Peasants and Workers Party is the fourth generation member of her family to enter politics. She’s been running social and charitable activities and also leads the family-run educational institutes and recently was in the news for distributing 22000 bicycles to girls in the villages of Alibaug. She is contesting from Alibaug constituency.



Dr Babasaheb Annasaheb Deshmukh, PWP

After a bitter contest with the Shiv Sena (UBT) for the seat of Sangola, both, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the PWP have decided to contest. The PWP has nominated Dr Babasaheb Deshmukh, a medical doctor who has been running medical and charitable work in the area for several years now. He’s also the grandson of senior PWP leader Ganpatrao Deshmukh who was elected from the Sangola constituency in Solapur 11 times.

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