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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.

Power Struggles

Updated: Jan 21, 2025

The recent controversy over the temporary suspension of the appointments of Nashik and Raigad district guardian ministers underscores a fundamental truth within the Mahayuti coalition: Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena cannot be disregarded, even as the BJP holds the reins of government. Shinde, despite being relegated to the role of Deputy Chief Minister, has proven that his influence and political leverage cannot be easily sidelined by his coalition partners, the BJP led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.


The appointment of BJP’s Girish Mahajan as Nashik’s district guardian minister and NCP’s Aditi Tatkare as Raigad’s guardian minister sparked an uproar from the Shiv Sena, which felt its territorial claims were being overlooked. Though the Maharashtra government ultimately chose to stay the appointments, the episode revealed a crucial undercurrent in the state’s political landscape: despite having been dethroned from the chief minister’s office, Eknath Shinde remains an undeniable power-broker.


The Shiv Sena’s objections were swift and loud. Ministers such as Dadaji Bhuse and Bharat Gogawale vocally opposed the appointments, claiming the posts rightfully belonged to them. Protests erupted in Mahad, Gogawale’s constituency, as his supporters threatened mass resignations. This is not merely a disagreement over ministerial positions but a clash of egos, ambitions and the desire for local influence. With the coalition still trying to find its footing after its massive mandate in the Assembly polls last year, the controversy over these appointments is just one of many flashpoints that could fracture the already delicate partnership.


To soothe fraying tempers, Shinde intervened and prompted Fadnavis to hold the appointments in abeyance while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, further underscoring the former CM’s capacity to influence key decisions within the coalition.


The message being sent out was that while Fadnavis and his team may continue to hold the formal levers of power, Shinde’s faction remains a potent force that the BJP must contend with if it hopes to maintain political stability.

The appointment of district guardian ministers is a classic example of how coalition politics can derail governance. These posts are not just about overseeing development funds but carry significant influence in local political dynamics. In Nashik and Raigad, where the Shiv Sena had long held sway, the BJP and NCP’s appointments were seen as blatant encroachments into territory it viewed as its own. The protests of the Sena leaders are a stark reminder that the Mahayuti is still a work in progress despite its overwhelming mandate.


As Republic Day draws closer, the onus is now on Fadnavis to cut the Gordian Knot of guardian ministerships. For, the inability of the Mahayuti to present a united front in the face of such internal dissent will raise doubts about its ability to govern Maharashtra smoothly.


While Shinde has scored a point by preserving his importance, Maharashtra needs more than just political manoeuvring. It requires governance that prioritizes the needs of its people, not the ambitions of its political players.

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