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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.

Gender Discrimination in Schemes

Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination impacts millions of girls and boys around the world, denying them basic human rights like education, income equality, and a life free of violence. But here in Maharashtra the women have outsmarted the men as far as one state government’s scheme is concerned. The Maharashtra government launched the Ladka Bhau Yojana for the state’s boys after the success of the Ladli Behin Yojana.


Anticipating wrath from the boys especially unemployed, the Maharashtra government has introduced a new scheme Ladka Bhau Yojana 2024 aimed at helping young people. Through this, unemployed youth will receive Rs 10,000 per month. This funding will be given throughout the training program to help them find jobs and inspire them to work for themselves. The beneficiaries’ financial circumstances and living standards will improve as a result. There will also be a decline in the state’s unemployment rate once this scheme takes off. This program will guarantee the growth of the state’s youngsters and brighten their future so that they can advance in their careers.


With the overarching goal of improving employability among young men between the ages of 18 and 35, the Ladka Bhau Yojana brings vocational training to the forefront. It acknowledges the dire need for professional skills development amid increasing competition and rising unemployment rates. The Ladka Bhau Yojana is designed to provide financial assistance and vocational training to unemployed young men in the state, ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to secure a stable future. The primary goal of the Ladka Bhau Yojana is to empower the youth of Maharashtra by offering them free vocational training and financial support. By equipping them with practical and technical skills, the program aims to reduce unemployment and improve the living standards of beneficiaries. The initiative is part of the Maharashtra government’s broader strategy to launch several public welfare schemes ahead of the assembly elections.


The program is expected to benefit around ten lakh young individuals across the state each year, providing them with the skills and support needed to overcome unemployment and achieve economic stability. By offering both training and financial support, the Ladka Bhau Yojana aims to reduce the unemployment rate in Maharashtra, ensuring that young people have the means to build successful careers. The scheme’s structure is simple yet powerful. Monthly stipends corresponding to their educational qualifications will be given to the youths. For example, those who have completed the 12th grade will earn Rs 6,000 monthly, ITI graduates will receive Rs 8,000, and graduates or postgraduates will secure Rs 10,000 per month during the six-month training program.

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