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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.

Ready for home composting now?

Updated: Feb 3, 2025

home composting

From my last week’s article, you must have understood what to expect while your compost is on the way to maturity or already matured. So certain animal species and plant species are going to be a part of your compost ecosystem. These living beings are essential for making a good quality compost. While the kind of insects, fungi etc. mentioned in that article are your ‘compost companions’, there are creatures like cockroaches, mosquitoes, ants, large blue-coloured flies, common house flies etc. which you would never observe hovering on or sitting right on your compost in the compost bin.


We know that, generally, these animals get attracted to filthy, rotting eatables and similar items in the garbage. My own experience is that since past 12 years I have not seen a single cockroach or mosquito or house fly getting attracted to my home compost bin which I have kept in my bedroom window. All these animals can be considered as the indicators of the ‘health’ that is the quality of your compost.


If you see cockroaches or mosquitoes or even the house flies in your compost bin, then something is terribly wrong with the compost process. Probably, those ‘compost companions’ are not getting conducive environment for their normal action. This could be due to extreme changes in the pH, temperature, moisture content etc.


These can be corrected by adding appropriate raw materials as described earlier. You won’t see the earthworms either. Though these animals are extremely useful and helpful in composting, it is generally not advisable to use them or introduce them in home composting. If you are planning to do composting at the society or community level, then using earthworms is highly beneficial for large scale production of compost. The technique of Vermicomposting if somewhat different than biocomposting. I will provide detail information on vermicomposting sometime later.


Now I hope that you have made up your mind and have decided to start biocomposting at your home. But then you might start thinking like where can I get the required material, who will guide me through for setting up such home unit for bio composting, how much it will cost? etc.


In the city of Thane and around, there are many NGOs and individuals who can provide the relevant guidance. Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal (Enviro-Vigil) is one such NGO working in Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan, Titwala, Murbad etc. for the past 25 years. Its objective has always been environmental education, research & awareness creation among the masses for clean, healthy and hygienic environments and has been striving to do so since its inception in 1999.


This organization is working with a vision to build a strong and self-sustained organization working for the cause of Environment and with a mission to empower today’s youth to accept challenges of changing world in tune with sustainable development. It is working with various schools and colleges in Thane and surrounding areas. It provides consultancy to the educational institutions, housing societies regarding the overall management of biodiversity, waste management, water and energy management etc. In my next article, I will elaborate more upon the work done by this organization in waste management at the household level and community level.


Till then have a good weekend!


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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