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.

Parliamentary Disgrace

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

Leadership, especially in opposition, demands dignity, poise and a certain gravitas. These qualities elevate the office and serve as a counterweight to the government’s excesses. Yet Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most storied political family and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, seems woefully ill-equipped to embody such virtues. The events that unfolded in Parliament, a scuffle more befitting a street brawl than the hallowed halls of democracy, have starkly illustrated this failing.


Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s own mother, conducted herself with a dignity that won grudging respect even from her most ardent critics. Leaders like Sushilkumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar understood the art of balancing firm opposition with parliamentary decorum. Rahul Gandhi, by contrast, has turned the Leader of Opposition’s chair into a soapbox for puerile theatrics and unfocused belligerence.


The shameful scuffle in the Lok Sabha has added yet another blot to India’s parliamentary democracy. Instead of engaging in disruptive theatrics, Gandhi would do well by focusing on rigorous research and delivering incisive speeches that challenge the government on substantive issues.


It is not just the Congress that suffers from Gandhi’s missteps; his conduct erodes the Opposition’s ability to hold the government accountable. His actions provide fodder for the ruling BJP, which has accused him of incitement and hooliganism.


Rahul Gandhi must realize that the role of Leader of Opposition is not a birthright but a responsibility. His street-level antics may energize a few supporters but do little to address the concerns of millions who look to the Opposition for leadership.


Opposition does not flourish through disruption alone; it must engage with substance. Mr. Gandhi’s repeated attempts to pivot to issues such as corporate malfeasance involving Adani or alleged constitutional violations by the BJP lack coherence and are often eclipsed by his own missteps. His claim that the BJP’s protests were designed to shield the Home Minister from scrutiny over contentious remarks would carry more weight if it were not delivered in the shadow of yesterday’s disgraceful scuffle. His conduct, particularly towards a female MP, as alleged, undermines the moral high ground he so often claims.


Parliament is a theater of ideas, not a boxing ring. For a Leader of Opposition to resort to alleged physicality in the face of disagreement is not only unbecoming but corrosive to the institutions he is sworn to uphold. Rahul Gandhi must realize that leadership is not just about resistance; it is about responsibility. Without this epiphany, he risks reducing the Congress party—and its proud legacy—to a footnote in Indian politics.


In a democracy as vibrant and complex as India’s, dissent is a cornerstone. However, dissent devoid of discipline and direction risks undermining the very institutions it seeks to protect. It is time for Rahul Gandhi to rise above his penchant for theatrics and deliver the mature leadership that his position — and the nation — demands.

Comments

bottom of page