top of page

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.

Jarange-Patil, the ‘Wild Card’ in Marathwada’s Arena

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Jarange-Patil, the ‘Wild Card’ in Marathwada’s Arena

Manoj Jarange Patil, a name that barely registered in Maharashtra’s political arena until last August, has emerged as a formidable figure whose influence is undeniably palpable in the key Marathwada region. Jarange-Patil’s announcement of fielding candidates who would look after the interests of the Maratha community and his threat of pulling down those leaders opposed to it has thrown leaders of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, particularly the BJP, in a mighty fix.


The ‘Jarange factor’ was undeniably influential in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where candidates from the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Marathwada suffered significant losses. High-profile defeats included those of BJP leaders Raosaheb Danve (Jalna), Pankaja Munde (Beed), and Prataprao Chikhalikar (Nanded). As the Mahayuti still grapples with these electoral shocks, Jarange has cranked up the pressure, warning of fielding candidates across all 288 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.


His six hunger strikes since August last has ensured the Maratha quota issue is kept burning in public consciousness. Having demonstrated his disruptive capacity in the Lok Sabha election, leaders across party lines are frantically courting Jarange-Patil ahead of the Assembly polls to either seek his support or to plead for restraint in their campaigns.


As he prepares to take a final call on his ‘aspirants’ for the Assembly poll, Jarange-Patil’s aides claim that applications have flooded in from across Maharashtra, including former MLAs and candidates from both ruling and opposition parties. And not just Maratha candidates, but aspirants from reserved constituencies and OBCs as well – all of who are to be scrutinized before a decision is made by the activist on October 20.

Meanwhile, Jarange-Patil continues to target State BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with aggressive rhetoric. Notably, CM Eknath Shinde has managed to remain in the activist’s ‘good books.’


Not just Mahayuti and BJP leaders who are anxious for his support, but those from the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and other parties are scrambling to meet the activist.

In the past two months, several BJP leaders in Marathwada, out of trepidation for Jarange, have met him. Senior Congressman Prithviraj Chavan met him in August, while endorsing his demands. AIMIM leader Imtiyaz Jaleel recently met with Jarange Patil, proposing a potential Muslim-Maratha alliance as a transformative force in the elections.


This courtship of Jarange-Patil is not new: During seat-sharing talks ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Prakash Ambedkar had vexed the leadership of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by demanding that Jarange-Patil be permitted to contest from the Jalna Lok Sabha seat.


Despite holding 26 of the 46 Assembly seats in Marathwada, the BJP had come a cropper in the Lok Sabha, underscoring the ferocity of the Maratha agitation backlash and Jarange-Patil’s elemental force in tipping the balance. As the clock ticks to November 20, Jarange-Patil’s authority indisputably looms large over Marathwada, transforming him into a one-man kingmaker capable of influencing the fate of established politicians and parties by banking solely on his influence within the Maratha community.

Comments

bottom of page