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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.

Maratha-OBC quota clash to resonate in Bhujbal’s Yevla seat

Maratha-OBC quota

Mumbai: The Maratha-OBC quota issue and trends in onion prices are among the campaign themes likely to impact the poll outcome in Maharashtra’s Yevla assembly constituency from where NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal is seeking a re-election.


Located in Nashik district, Yevla is home to one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the country.

NCP heavyweight Bhujbal’s aggressive stance against Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has endeared him to the OBC communities, but may put off a section of Marathas in his first electoral battle since the split in the party.


His one time aide and now rival NCP (SP) candidate Manikrao Shinde, who belongs to the Maratha community, claimed voters in the constituency support his party head Sharad Pawar and this would go in his favour.


However, Bhujbal, who has stridently opposed Jarange’s demand for Maratha quota from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) share, is confident of retaining his seat, unfazed by the defeat of BJP leader Bharati Pawar from Dindori Lok Sabha constituency (which includes Yevla segment) in the general polls earlier this year.


The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

The Yevla assembly segment, in north Maharashtra, houses Lasalgaon APMC, one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the country, vulnerable to the government’s export and import policies regarding the perishable produce.


Also famous for the Paithani sarees, the constituency comprises 3,26,626 voters, including nearly 1.35 lakh Marathas.


Local vegetable vendor Urmila Bankar said the state government has implemented various schemes, such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana which provides her a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.


“However, I want to make an effort to have an income independently. I understand that government schemes like this are temporary and not sustainable in the long run. I wonder if the sitting MLA could confront the Union government regarding our issues (like inflation),” she said.


Bhujbal (77), who hails from the Mali OBC community, started as a vegetable vendor in Mumbai’s Byculla market.


When Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966, Bhujbal was among the first to join it, advocating for the rights and pride of the Marathi community.


Once a fierce supporter of the Hindutva ideology, Bhujbal joined the Congress in 1991 when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister. He focused on expanding his influence among the OBCs in the state.

Last year, Bhujbal supported the Ajit Pawar-led faction when it joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government, leading to a split in the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar.


Bhujbal had said his decision was motivated by the concerns for voters, whose needs must be addressed.

His challenger Manikrao Shinde had helped Bhujbal in his win on the Congress ticket in the 2004 assembly elections.


Bhujbal had earlier also been a legislator in 1985 and 1990 from Mumbai’s Mazgaon assembly segment and represented the (then undivided) Shiv Sena.


Expressing confidence of his victory this time, Bhujbal said, “I have won every assembly election from 2004 to 2019, and I am confident I will win this one as well. The work I have done for the local community, including the initiation of several drinking water schemes, will help me win this poll.”


However, a close aide of Bhujbal claimed there is “strong excitement” among the Maratha youth regarding Jarange, as they see him as one of their own.


“While Bhujbal’s opposition to Jarange’s demand for the Maratha quota under the OBC category was technically justified, it has negatively impacted the young voters,” he said.


Shinde said the Yevla voters have been loyal supporters of Sharad Pawar.


“We tolerated Bhujbal because Pawar nominated him in every election. However, Bhujbal engaged in divisive politics.


When Bhujbal went against Pawar’s wishes and joined the government alongside Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar held a rally in Yevla to apologise to the people for posing trust in Bhujbal,” he said.

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