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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.

Reverse Gear For Education

Updated: Oct 25, 2024

Adopt a School,

The Maharashtra government had announced a new scheme on September 19 last year that will allow private entities with a SEBI registered CSR certificate to adopt government schools in the state. The scheme, called Adopt a School, aims to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in these schools, irrespective of their medium of instruction. The scheme will be implemented in phases across the state and the period of adoption will be either five or ten years. The private entities can also choose to add their name to the existing name of the school for the duration of the adoption.


As per the government decision it allows individuals, corporations, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to adopt government schools. The initiative intends to improve the overall standard and educational quality. This decision has not gone down well among the educationists and teachers as well. Thousands of primary teachers took to the streets after the government’s decision. Multiple organisations actively working in the interiors of Maharashtra have come together against the state government’s decision in the sector of school education–amendment to Right To Education (RTE) Act, Scheme of Cluster of Schools and adoption of schools.


Significantly, out of the total 509 schools which closed down in Maharashtra, the highest figure belonged to the private sector. As against 19,632 private schools recorded in 2020-21, Maharashtra now has 19,268 private schools, indicating closure of 364 schools. In comparison, only 95 government schools have closed down during the period.


At the same time speculation over the corporate giant who wish to adopt some 5,000 schools in the state under its “Adopt a School” scheme got louder. It all started when School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar while addressing a press conference in Mumbai said a city-based multinational conglomerate is looking to adopt 5,000 government-run schools in the state. “A big corporate house has shown interest in adopting one school in each administrative block having 8-10 schools”, the Minister stated without disclosing any name. But within a few days the reality came into the light that the multinational conglomerate is Reliance Education owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).


The scheme, which was announced in September 2023, envisaged a model under which individuals, corporations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could adopt government schools. Some of them showed interest in schools. But the real reason behind their generosity was the land of schools. They were hardly bothered about upgrading the infrastructure and amenities at these schools and improving the quality of education. Due to which, the scheme met with stiff opposition by students, teachers and parents. Education activist Heramb Kulkarni said the government is not serious about the feelings of stakeholders. Students, teachers and parents have written letters to the state government.

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