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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.

Home Grounded

Updated: Nov 7, 2024

In a historic drubbing, New Zealand clinched a 3-0 Test series victory against India on Indian soil—a defeat the host nation has not witnessed in 91 years. The shameful loss has stirred introspection not only about India’s cricketing fundamentals but also about the priorities in Indian cricket. In a twist that would be laughable if it were not so disastrous, Indian batsmen now find themselves as vulnerable to spin on home soil as their foreign counterparts.


The irony is rich: India’s own players are strangers to the turning tracks that once gave them an edge, all because the domestic fixtures that once defined Indian cricket—Ranji, Duleep, and Irani trophies—are no longer seen as essential. With few players mandated to participate in these tournaments, India’s preparation has withered, while visitors like Australia and New Zealand arrive more practiced and ready for challenge.


Once upon a time, the cricket calendar allowed a rhythm that cultivated excellence. One season, Indian cricketers would tour the West Indies, England, or Australia; the next, they would defend their turf against incoming sides. Without the glitzy interruptions of today’s Indian Premier League (IPL), attention remained firmly on domestic cricket. The Ranji Trophy was a battleground for regional pride and an incubator of national talent. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, who took immense pride in representing Bombay, or Gundappa Vishwanath for Karnataka, sharpened their skills and developed a deep, enduring commitment to the game’s demands. These tournaments provided Indian players with rigorous practice against top-class spinners, who often happened to be their own compatriots like the great spin quartet of Bedi, B. Chandrashekhar, E. Prassana, and S. Venkataraghavan, offering a unique experience and preparation in tackling the visiting foreign team that is absent today.


Today, however, this foundation has been eroded. The lucrative IPL, now an immovable fixture, has diminished the importance of long-format domestic cricket, sidelining it as a secondary pursuit. What was once a pathway to technical mastery and grit has now become optional, and India’s Test team is paying the price.


In the age of glitzy T20 leagues, traditional domestic tournaments have been sidelined. Indian batsmen who once took pride in technical mastery are now drawn into the faster, commercial allure of the IPL. With the IPL monopolizing the cricket calendar, the emphasis now is on quick runs and big hits. In Tests, occupying the crease for long periods is essential, but in today’s game, Indian players lack this mindset. Most telling symptom is the silence of cricket’s opinion-makers. Unlike past eras when poor Test performances invited heavy criticism, today’s media coverage rarely dissects the underlying issues. India’s cricket fandom, too, has changed drastically. Fans once had high expectations from their players, with Test failures greeted by massive public outcry. Today, instead of censuring Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, they continue to be regarded as sporting demi-gods who keep getting lucrative advertisement offers.

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