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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.

Fadnavis has assets of Rs 13 cr

In his sixth Assembly election, the DCM looks accommodative


Fadnavis

Nagpur: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declared movable and immovable assets worth Rs 13,27,47,728 in the affidavit filed along with his nomination papers from Nagpur South West seat for the November 20 assembly polls.


As per his tax return forms, his total income stood at Rs 79,30,402 in 2023-24, while it was Rs 92,48,094 in 2022-23.


Fadnavis declared movable assets of Rs 56,07,867 in his name, Rs 6,96,92,748 in his wife Amruta Fadnavis’ name as well as Rs 10,22,113 in his daughter Divija’s name. As per his poll affidavit, the senior BJP leader has Rs 23,500 cash in hand, while this figure is Rs 10,000 in the case of his wife.


His deposits in bank accounts, including term deposits and deposits in financial institutions, NBFCs and cooperative societies, is Rs 2,28,760, while that of his wife stands at Rs 1,43,717.


Fadnavis has not invested in bonds, debentures, shares and mutual funds but has invested Rs 20,70,607 in NSS, postal savings, insurance policies and financial instruments.


His wife has invested Rs 5,62,59,031 in bonds, debentures, shares and mutual funds, as per the affidavit.

Fadnavis has declared that he has 450 grams gold ornaments worth Rs 32,85,000, while this figure is Rs 65,70,000 (900 grams) for his wife.


The Deputy CM has declared immovable assets of Rs 4,68,96,000 in his name, including agricultural land in Chandrapur, residential building in Dharampeth in Nagpur and several other properties and Rs 95,29,000 in the name of his wife.


Fadnavis has taken loan of Rs 62,00,000 from his wife and has no other loans from banks or financial institutions or pending dues.


He and his wife do not have any vehicle registered in their names.


The senior BJP leader has mentioned that he has four FIRs and four pending cases against his name.

‘Ladki Bahin’ enough to defeat opponents Devendra Fadnavis on Friday filed his nomination from the Nagpur South-West assembly constituency for the November 20 state elections.


Addressing a rally before filing the papers, he said the Mahayuti government’s work speaks for itself, and hit out at the opposition parties, saying the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme and its beneficiaries were enough to defeat them.


This is his sixth assembly election. He has been an MLA for the past 25 years starting 1999.


Before filing his nomination form, Fadnavis visited Union minister and former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari’s residence here. Both the BJP leaders then paid floral tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue at the Sanvidhan square in the city, followed by a roadshow from there till Akashvani square.


Addressing a gathering at the end of the roadshow, Fadnavis said, “Our work speaks louder than our words. People can see the development in Nagpur -- be it Nagpur Metro Rail, Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway or other development projects that have changed the face of Nagpur.”


The work carried out by the BJP in the last seven-and-a-half years in the state and by the Centre in the last 10 years, has changed the face of Nagpur, he said.


“I won’t talk about the opposition parties as our Ladki Bahin (scheme and its beneficiaries) is enough for them. Congress leaders Sunil Kedar and Nana Patole even tried to stop the Ladki Bahin Yojana by filing a petition in Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court,” he added.


Ladki Bahin is a flagship scheme of the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government, under which eligible women get a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month.


The Mahayuti government changed the picture of Vidarbha through several projects, including the Gosikhurd irrigation projects, development of Nagpur and Amravati airport and other works.


“The Mahayuti government is creating a new Maharashtra under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is creating a new India,” Fadnavis said. He said his government issued 48 Government Resolutions (GR) for the welfare of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, and challenged the Congress to show even one such GR issued during its term. It has also worked for the tribal community and all other sections of the society, he said. Addressing the gathering earlier, Gadkari said what the Congress could not do in 60 years, the Mahayuti government has done in Nagpur and Maharashtra under the leadership of Fadnavis and PM Modi.

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