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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.

Gudhi Rising

Once again, Gudhi Padwa arrived with its promise of renewal. Maharashtra decked itself in festive splendour, with homes adorned in fresh mango leaves and Gudhi flags fluttering in the breeze. It marks yet another period of new beginnings, where resolutions are made. Let this Gudhi Padwa mark a fresh start for Mumbai’s – and the rest of Maharshtra’s - long-suffering infrastructure projects, which have often progressed at the pace of a reluctant bullock cart. May the Mahayuti government, inspired by the festive spirit, fast-track long-pending initiatives - be it road repairs that don’t get washed away with the first monsoon shower or the redevelopment of funnel zone buildings that have been hanging fire for years. If the New Year can bring renewal to every household, surely it can also infuse new energy into bureaucratic processes?


Of course, Gudhi Padwa is not just about bricks and mortar but also about the spirit of unity. As neighbours step out to greet one another, may this warmth extend beyond festival day pleasantries. Maharashtra, with its rich history of inclusivity, has weathered many storms, but the true test of its greatness lies in how it fosters social harmony. The first quarter of 2025 has seen political temperatures soar in Maharashtra, be it the murder of a sarpanch in Beed or communal tensions in Nagpur. Let the state remember that its strength has always been in its diversity, not in divisive rhetoric and deeds.


This is particularly relevant given the law-and-order challenges Maharashtra has faced in recent months, which have served as grim reminders that peace cannot be taken for granted.


Law and order, too, could do with a festive renewal. Just as every home is swept clean for the New Year, let’s hope Maharashtra’s cities see a thorough sweep of crime and corruption. The police force could certainly use more support to maintain law and order, ensuring that prosperity is accompanied by peace. After all, what good is development if citizens don’t feel secure enough to enjoy it?


And while we are making wishes, here’s one for Mumbai’s commuting warriors: may the city’s trains and metros run on time, may Pune’s potholes become endangered species and may the honking on its streets be replaced miraculously by a symphony of disciplined driving. The latter does seem wishful thinking in a Pune bursting at its seams, but if that happens, it will truly be a divine intervention worth celebrating.


So as Maharashtrians raise their Gudhis skyward, symbolizing victory and auspicious beginnings, let’s also raise our hopes not just for a year of individual prosperity, but for a Maharashtra that thrives in every aspect. May the government keep its promises, may citizens find happiness in harmony and may progress march ahead, unencumbered by red tape or political theatrics.


Here’s to a New Year that is not just happy, but truly transformative. Gudhi Padwayachya Hardik Shubhechha!

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