Strange bedfellows

BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there. The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the...

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BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there. The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the cold. Similarly in Akot, the BJP cozied up under the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)'s green quilt, without a shred of guilt, to shoo off the Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and others from bagging the civic body. In Ambernath, the Shiv Sena had emerged as the single-largest party with 27 seats in the 60-Ward house, and in Akot, the BJP achieved the same feat with 11 seats in the 35-Ward house. Predictably, leaders across these parties rushed to douze the hayfires. A shaken Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal suspended local leaders in Ambernath, including the local party chief Pradeep Patil, the executive committee and around a dozen elected municipal councillors. A dazed AIMIM state chief Imtiaz Jaleel, declared there was “no question of joining hands with the BJP”, and added grimly: “We have sought a report from the local party leaders, and after getting all details, we shall initiate appropriate disciplinary action,” a grim Jaleel said. Smarting under red-hot chilli criticism flung by Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and Aam Aadmi Party’s Preeti Sharma-Menon, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shot out an earful to the local party leaders in Ambernath and Akot. “We shall not tolerate the alliances with Congress and AIMIM. These partnerships must be broken. If the local (BJP) units have worked out such deals, they are wrong and violate norms. We shall take stringent action against them,” warned Fadnavis. Later, BJP State President Ravindra Chavan slapped a notice on the Akot party units seeking an explanation. Ideological Somersaults Since 2019, the state has witnessed many such brazen ideological somersaults that have left political parties and voters shocked and awed. It started when the (undivided) Shiv Sena joined the Congress and (united) NCP to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which ruled the state for two-and-half years. In the current civic elections season, even the MVA has fractured with Congress going solo or with local allies like Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have embraced the once-untouchable MNS. Adding to this is the flurry of local leaders-activists hopping parties, leaving voters bemused and bewildered, even as the parties fumbled to save their ideological credibility. Ambernath: Shoving out the winner Indulging in political creativity, the BJP, Congress and NCP floated the Ambernath City Development Front, uniting the BJP, Congress and NCP, intended to keep the Shiv Sena out of power at all costs. Ambernath falls in the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat of Dr Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who is already at loggerheads with BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan, hailing from Dombivali town, also in Thane district. BJP-Shiv Sena fought against each other in the civic polls last month. In the 59-member Ambernath Municipal Council, the Shiv Sena won 23 seats, BJP 16, Congress 12 and NCP four. BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule was elected president through direct polls. Post-alliance, the BJP-Congress-NCP touched 32 seats, edging out the Shiv Sena which in its undivided form had ruled here for almost 35 years. Akot: Bulldozing to grab power The BJP, AIMIM formed the Akot Vikas Manch, which included Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and NCP (SP) and Prahar Janshakti Party to wrest the 35-member house from potential claimants. The BJP won 11 and AIMIM five, and along with others, the AVM claimed a majority with 25 municipal councillors, and the Congress, VBA floundered with just 8 seats. The AVM was formally registered with the SEC. In the polls, BJP’s Maya Dhule was elected mayor defeating AIMIM’s Firozabi S. Rana.

Muslims get that ‘sinking feeling, again’

Quaid Najmi
Dec 25, 2025
3 min read

Mumbai: Soon after sworn political adversaries Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray publicly embraced reconciliation, a familiar sense of unease spread among Maharashtra’s Muslims and other minorities.

For many, the reunion of the cousins after 20 years of separation was less about Marathi unity and more about political expediency, plus a grim reminder of how minority expectations remain expedient for self-serving politicians or parties all over.

Admittedly, sections of Muslims had begun to accept Uddhav Thackeray during his tenure as the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Chief Minister, but are now a tad unsettled by the sudden political realignment.

Uddhav’s mild and all-inclusive governance as a ‘father figure’, perceived outreach and resistance to overt communal rhetoric had earned him cautious goodwill during the Covid-19 Pandemic days, but the rapprochement with Raj Thackeray - whose political style abhors many - raise fresh doubts.

Let Down

Of Maharashtra’s estimated 1.75 crore Muslims, a few voices sounded helpless more than outraged, with many feeling ‘let down’ and their expectations from a perceived ‘Messiah’ again dashed owing to political compulsions.

Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh (MMSS) President Faquir M. Thakur summed up the mood candidly. “We have not adopted any official stand yet. But there is no question of extending blanket support to any party. We are likely to remain neutral,” he said.

Thakur spoke wistfully of a deeper realisation within the community - that when Muslims and minorities face crises, meaningful political support is often lacking from those they trusted. This has led to more pragmatic voting decisions, influenced by candidates or parties committed to take principled positions on issues directly affecting the community.

On the concerns of increased social polarisation, Thakur said: “Society has become sharply divided along caste-communal lines. Yet many now feel that if the BJP were to abandon its hardline anti-Muslim posture, nobody will mind if it rules for a hundred years.”

Ideological Distortions

Maulana Mohammad Burhanuddin Qasmi, Director of Markazul Ma’arif Education Research Centre, said that ideological commitment has virtually vanished from Indian politics. “Most parties and leaders today are neither genuinely Right nor Left. They are mere opportunists driven purely by self-interest,” he said.

In this context, he said that the MNS is no exception. After 2014, ideological distortions have only deepened, with frequent party-hopping becoming normalised, especially among smaller parties and their leaders.

Survival Tactic

Social activist Feroze Mithiborwala feels that Uddhav Thackeray had little choice but to align with Raj Thackeray to ensure consolidation of the Marathi votes, especially in Mumbai.

“The rival Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) is growing stronger, armed with money and institutional power, which poses a direct existential threat to the SS (UBT). So, the tie-up (with MNS) is a survival tactic,” he explained.

Expectedly, the new alliance rattled the Congress - given Raj Thackeray’s perceived hostility towards North Indians and Gujaratis - and it decided to go solo in Mumbai given its own unique support base, said Mithiborwala.

Power Politics

Tasneem Shaikh, a retired private-sector executive, was more blunt. She described the development as “ruthless power politics” devoid of ideological sincerity. “All parties, especially those in power, are obsessed with winning seats and controlling institutions - for advantage and survival,” she said.

Questioning their power-centric intentions, Shaikh asked: “Who is genuinely addressing inflation, unemployment, education, law and order, or public amenities? These issues affect everyone, including minorities, yet they rarely dominate political discourse.”

Citing the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Thakur claimed that Muslims were again reduced to a vote-bank by parties across the spectrum, and “after securing our votes, those parties dwelt on their own selfish agendas, not the national interest”.

Maulana Qasmi predicts that the hand-shake between Thackeray cousins will primarily serve their mutual political interests, and Muslims are unlikely to view this alliance any differently when they exercise their franchise next month.

Though SS(UBT) banks heavily on the traditional Marathi support, it has also cultivated a growing minority voter base, but ultimately voters may select local candidates ready to champion minority concerns over political alliances, pointed out Mithiborwala.

In such a discouraging scenario, Shaikh feels minorities may be swayed only by candidates with integrity, accessibility, and a record of serving people without discrimination will matter more than party labels.

For a large chunk of Muslims, the Thackeray cousins’ reunion has rekindled that dreaded ‘sinking feeling’ with alliances shifting in the political quicksand - while the desperate minorities keep their fingers crossed for a helping hand.