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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.

Expedite Justice

Updated: Mar 3, 2025

The recent submission of an 1,800-page chargesheet by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has thrust the Mahayuti coalition led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis into a precarious position. The document names Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, as the principal architect behind the brutal murder of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. This development amplifies the urgency for the administration to expedite the judicial process to salvage its waning credibility.


Deshmukh’s abduction, torture and murder in last December was a chilling act that had rattled Maharashtra. The CID’s investigation reveals that Deshmukh’s steadfast opposition to a Rs. 2 crore extortion attempt that targeted a wind energy firm was the catalyst for his assassination. Karad, alongside his accomplice Vishnu Chate, had allegedly sought to extract this sum from the company, with Deshmukh’s resistance sealing his tragic fate.


The chargesheet meticulously details the ruthless calculus of Karad and his accomplice that led to Deshmukh’s murder. The CID’s investigation further unravels a broader conspiracy. Karad and his associates had allegedly orchestrated a campaign of terror, targeting anyone who dared to obstruct their extortion endeavours. Such brazen criminality not only highlights the perpetrators’ audacity but also exposes alarming lapses in local governance and law enforcement.


This nexus between criminal elements and political figures casts a long shadow over the Mahayuti government’s commitment to ethical governance and the rule of law. The Mahayuti coalition, which won a resounding mandate last year on the pillars of development and good governance, finds itself ensnared in a credibility crisis. The delay in apprehending Karad, coupled with the gravity of the charges against him, has led to public scepticism regarding the administration’s resolve to uphold justice. This incident, juxtaposed with other alarming events such as the Pune bus rape case, paints a troubling picture of the state’s law and order situation under the current regime.


To navigate this quagmire, the Fadnavis administration must act with alacrity and transparency. Expediting Karad’s trial is imperative, not merely as a procedural formality but as a definitive statement of the government’s intolerance towards criminality, irrespective of political affiliations. A swift and impartial judicial process would serve as a testament to the administration’s dedication to justice and could potentially restore public faith.


The government must undertake a comprehensive introspection of its internal mechanisms. Implementing robust checks and balances, fostering a culture of accountability, and ensuring that law enforcement agencies operate free from political interference are steps that cannot be deferred. The Mahayuti’s electoral mandate is a contract predicated on the promise of integrity and progress. The onus is on the Fadnavis government to demonstrate that its commitment to the rule of law supersedes political expediency. Only through decisive and transparent action can the administration hope to cleanse stains on governance and steer Maharashtra onto path of development.

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