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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.

Govt to form committee for decision on assets of MTNL and BSNL in Mumbai: Scindia

  • PTI
  • Apr 1, 2025
  • 2 min read

Mumbai: Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said a committee of government officials will be formed to take a decision on the assets of public sector telecom companies Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited in Mumbai.


The committee will comprise officials of the state urban development department, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the central government's telecommunications department, and its report will be submitted in four weeks, Scindia was quoted as saying in a release.


The Minister of Communications attended a meeting organised at the Sahyadri Guest House here on the BSNL's assets in Mumbai and the communication system in Maharashtra. The meeting discussed in detail the assets of BSNL and MTNL in Mumbai, construction of mobile towers, communication systems to be created under the BharatNet programme.


Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Union Telecom Secretary Neeraj Kumar, BSNL's Managing Director Robert Ravi and others also took part in the meeting.


Scindia said the BharatNet project is being implemented to create a fast communication system for every gram panchayat in the country, and added that Maharashtra has done a good job in the phase I of the project.


The BharatNet project aims to provide broadband connectivity to all the gram panchayats in the country.


Under phase II of the project, a communication system should be established up to every remaining gram panchayat in the state as well, he said.


Scindia said that under BharatNet's phase II, one lakh towers of 4G network will be set up across the country.


These towers are planned to be set up mainly in unconnected areas. This will create a good communication system even in the most remote areas of the state, he said.


The Union minister also suggested removing the obstacles in creating a communication system in rural areas, he said.


Fadnavis assured full co-operation in strengthening the communication system by linking remote areas like Gadchiroli.


Security cover will be provided in the extremely remote areas of Gadchiroli to set up towers. If a communication system in remote areas is strong, it will be convenient to connect the local youth with modern technology, he said.


The government will work to create connectivity systems in all gram panchayats in the state under BharatNet phase II, he added.


CM Fadnavis assured that the state will be at the forefront of the country in the project's second phase as well.


Reservations on BSNL and MTNL properties in Mumbai will be examined. Action will be taken to remove the reservations as per the rules. The government intends to create various facilities for citizens on these properties. The state government will take action based on the recommendations of the committee formed, Fadnavis said.


Deputy CM Shinde said if a communication system is established in the remote areas of Gadchiroli, it will be possible for the state government to completely eradicate Naxalism.


"The government's efforts to eradicate Naxalism will be strengthened if a communication system is established," he said.

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