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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

From suspension to defection

Eighteen days after the results, Ambernath politics takes a dramatic turn as Congress corporators flood into BJP Ambernath : Amid growing buzz around municipal elections in Maharashtra, the Congress party has suffered a major political blow in Ambernath. As many as 11 Congress corporators have quit the party and formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within 24 hours of being suspended, dramatically altering the power balance in the Ambernath Municipal Council. The development has...

From suspension to defection

Eighteen days after the results, Ambernath politics takes a dramatic turn as Congress corporators flood into BJP Ambernath : Amid growing buzz around municipal elections in Maharashtra, the Congress party has suffered a major political blow in Ambernath. As many as 11 Congress corporators have quit the party and formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within 24 hours of being suspended, dramatically altering the power balance in the Ambernath Municipal Council. The development has not only weakened Congress but has also dealt a significant setback to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.   The crisis began after Congress suspended 12 corporators for aligning with the BJP during the formation of power in the municipal council. However, since the corporators were suspended and not disqualified, their corporator status remained intact, legally freeing them to join another party. Taking advantage of this, 11 suspended corporators crossed over to the BJP, leaving Congress in a political bind described by party insiders as a case of “losing both oil and ghee.”   The situation within the Congress organisation in Ambernath has further deteriorated. Party sources say there is no one left to even occupy the Congress office, and discussions are underway about sending a lock from Mumbai to secure it. Ironically, the party office itself is reportedly under the control of former Taluka Congress President Pradeep Patil, who was earlier suspended for campaigning for Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Shrikant Shinde during the Lok Sabha elections. Patil was suspended at the time by then state Congress president Nana Patole.   Power Struggle In the Ambernath Municipal Council, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has 27 corporators, BJP has 14, Congress 12, and the Nationalist Congress Party 4. Despite being the single largest party, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) fell short of a majority. BJP capitalised on this situation by aligning with Congress corporators and the NCP to reach the majority mark, a move that triggered widespread discussion across the state and country due to the unusual BJP–Congress alignment. Congress’s disciplinary action against its corporators ultimately worked in BJP’s favour and against the Shinde Sena. Following the defection of the 11 corporators, BJP’s strength in the municipal council has increased significantly, while the Shinde Sena has been pushed further away from power despite having the highest number of elected members.   This political churn is being viewed as a warning signal for Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leadership. Ambernath is represented by MLA Dr. Balaji Kinikar, while Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is the local Member of Parliament. With party control firmly in their hands, the BJP’s successful induction of Congress corporators facilitated by state BJP president Ravindra Chavan is being seen as a strategic challenge to the Shinde camp.   Intensifying Rivalry BJP’s aggressive organisational expansion in Badlapur, Ambernath, and Kalyan-Dombivli has intensified tensions between BJP and the Shinde Sena. The rivalry between MP Shrikant Shinde and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan has now become increasingly open, peaking in December with both sides engaging in aggressive political poaching of former corporators and office-bearers.   List of Congress corporators who joined BJP 1. Pradeep Nana Patil 2. Darshana Umesh Patil 3. Archana Charan Patil 4. Harshada Pankaj Patil 5. Tejaswini Milind Patil 6. Vipul Pradeep Patil 7. Manish Mhatre 8. Dhanlakshmi Jayashankar 9. Sanjavani Rahul Devde 10. Dinesh Gaikwad 11. Kiran Badrinath Rathod

Local dynastic politics at play

Current and ex-legislators’ campaign for their children, accompany children for rallies, hold meetings, oversee media campaigns

Mumbai: Shiv Sena candidate Jay Kudalkar while leaving for his campaign early morning is seen busy taking tips from his father, Mangesh Kudalkar, who is the legislator from Kurla. Similarly, Deepti Waikar, who is contesting from Ward number 73 (Andheri-East), makes it a point to meet her father, Ravindra Waikar, every night to share her experiences of her daylong campaign. Waikar is currently the MP from Mumbai North West constituency and a former state minister.


Mangesh denies any favouritism for the party nomination. “We had shortlisted three candidates for this seat number 169 and left the decision to Eknath Shinde. My son was selected based on feedback given by the party workers and the survey which was done,” he said.


Deepti attributes her decision to contest elections as a means to carry out her social work. “Our entire family has been engaged in social work for decades, and I used to handle my father’s election campaign. The BMC will give me a platform to serve the people effectively,” said Deepti, who is a practising advocate of the Bombay High Court.


Currently, around half a dozen children of current and past legislators are contesting the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is touted as a stepping stone for their political careers. All these legislators assert that their children have got tickets based on their merit and they have played no role in this selection.


These legislators are strategising the campaigns by planning roadshows, meeting office bearers of various outfits and housing societies and overseeing their media campaigns.


Former Shiv Sena legislator Sada Sarvankar has both his children facing the electoral battle in the Dadar-Prabhadevi belt. While his son Samadhan Sarvankar is fighting his second election, daughter Priya Sarvankar is making her electoral debut from ward number 191 against veteran politico and former mayor Vishaka Raut. Sarvankar denies that he was promoting his children. “This is a reserved seat for OBC women, and we had no suitable candidate here except Priya. She has been politically active for the last few years and has got the seat due to her winnability factor,” said Sarvankar. Priya says that her father has been her inspiration. “See the commendable developmental work he has done in the area. I just want to carry his legacy forward,” Priya stated.


‘Forced to Field’

Veteran Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar’s younger son, Saurabh Ghosalkar, has entered into the electoral fray from ward number 7 in Dahisar. His daughter-in-law Tejaswi is already in the fray from Ward number 2 as a BJP candidate. Vinod Ghosalkar claims he was forced to field his son from this ward. “Ward number 7 has been neglected for years, and people are fed up. It was the locals who requested me to field my son,” Vinod said. He stated that he is unable to go on a door-to-door campaign. “I hold meetings with small groups in societies and slum pockets,” he added.


Most of these legislators have cut their political teeth in the BMC and then graduated to become legislators.


Political analysts describe the situation as local dynasty politics at play. “Suppose tomorrow these legislators go to Lok Sabha or are denied a ticket to recontest, then their children can take their place. In addition, BMC is an ideal place to learn local politics as well as distribute favours to the electorate. “This experience is valuable for a long-term political career,” said political analyst Hemant Desai.


In Dindoshi, legislator Sunil Prabhu is undertaking a rally canvassing for his son Ankit, who aims to make his electoral debut from ward number 54 in Goregaon.


Meanwhile, Neil Somaiyya, son of former MLA Kirit Somaiyaa, and Akash Raj Purohit, son of former MLA Raj Purohit, are seeking their second terms from Mulund and Bhuleshwar, respectively. Incidentally, Goregaon legislator Vidya Thakur’s son Sagar, who was a corporator during the last term, was denied a ticket to contest by the BJP.

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