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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.

Infrastructure Divide

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

As Delhi’s metro network snakes further underground, the capital is racing ahead of its peers, showcasing the transformative power of foresight and execution. By contrast, Mumbai and Pune—India’s financial and IT powerhouses—remain mired in delays and inefficiencies. The discrepancy is glaring, and Devendra Fadnavis, now back at the helm as CM, must seize the opportunity to bridge this infrastructure gap.


Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has set a benchmark in urban transportation, making strides that go beyond mere expansion. Tunnelling achievements, such as the record-breaking 3-kilometer drive between Derawal Nagar and Pulbangash, highlight Delhi’s capacity for meticulous planning and execution. These feats contrast sharply with Mumbai’s slow-paced and beleaguered Metro Line 3 and Pune’s faltering progress on Line 3 of its own metro network.


Mumbai’s infrastructure woes extend far beyond its metro. Pothole-ridden roads turn monsoons into a commuter’s nightmare, and the absence of pedestrian-friendly footpaths is a glaring oversight in urban planning. The city’s authorities seem adept at launching grand projects but falter in execution, leaving the public to grapple with half-baked solutions. The same malaise afflicts Pune, where Metro lines 1 and 2 have been completed, but the pivotal Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar corridor remains behind schedule.


Delhi’s success with its metro, widely regarded as a model of urban transit, offers lessons that Maharashtra must urgently heed. Political will and effective leadership are paramount. When Delhi’s first metro line launched in 2002, it was underpinned by meticulous planning. Crucially, it maintained this momentum over two decades.


Maharashtra’s metro projects have been marred by inflated budgets, legal disputes, and poor planning. A lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure further discourages usage. Such oversights reflect a systemic failure to prioritize commuters’ needs.


Fadnavis’s return to power presents a chance to turn this around. His first tenure as Chief Minister (2014–2019) saw the conceptualization of several infrastructure projects. Now, he must prioritize their delivery. Streamlining bureaucratic processes, enforcing accountability among contractors, and ensuring better inter-agency coordination will be key.


Mumbai and Pune cannot afford to lag any longer. Both cities are critical to India’s economic aspirations. Mumbai, as the country’s financial capital, needs a robust transport network to sustain its global competitiveness while Pune must upgrade its infrastructure to keep attracting investment and talent. Both cities face stiff competition from regional peers like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, which are making strides in urban mobility.


More than just engineering marvels, efficient metro systems are economic enablers, reducing traffic congestion and improving quality of life. Delhi’s metro has shown how transformative such projects can be. There is no reason why Mumbai and Pune cannot follow suit. For Maharashtra’s metros, the time to act is now.

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