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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.

Robin Hood to kingmaker?

Updated: Nov 25, 2024

Bachchu Kadu

Achalpur MLA Bachchu Kadu sports an image of Robin Hood. He has dedicated his life for the cause of the society and has instilled a confidence in the minds of people that he shall be there to help them in any of their needs. While reacting to the exit poll results, he said that the new government won’t be in place without support of independents like him.


Born as Omprakash Babarao Kadu in Belora village of ChandurBajar taluka of Amravatoi district in Maharashtra on July 5, 1970, Bachchu Kadu has strong ideals since very young age. He staged his first agitation when he was still a school boy. The agitation was against Tamasha (a vulgar form of folk dance) shows in his village. While he was pursuing his degree in commerce, he was immensely under the influence of Balasaheb Thackeray and even joined Shiv Sena. He was elevated to taluka chief of the organization when he exposed a toilet scam. However, he quit the party when requests for fund to help handicapped individuals was declined.


Kadu’s political journey began in 1997 when he was elected as a member of the Panchayat Samiti. Kadu contested his first assembly election in 1999 and lost by 1300 votes. Many of his friends had lent him money to be able to contest polls. His wife too had mortgaged all her ornaments to raise election funds for him. He contested again in 2004 and has been getting elected from the constituency since then. Yet, Kadu still doesn’t have a house of his own and lives in a rented house. He has one more distinction that he was the only MLA in Maharashtra legislature who opposed hike in the remuneration that the members of the legislature get.


As the founder of the Prahar Janshakti Party, Kadu has been a vocal advocate for the welfare of marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. His party’s mission is to address the needs of these communities and ensure their representation in the political arena. Kadu’s dedication to social causes is evident in his various initiatives, including his work with the Divyang Welfare Committee, where he has launched campaigns to improve the lives of differently-abled individuals in Maharashtra.


Kadu’s tenure in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has been marked by his active participation in legislative processes and his efforts to bring about meaningful change. He has held several ministerial positions in the state government, including Minister of State for Water Resources, School Education, Woman and Child Development, Labour, and OBC-SEBC-SBC-VJNT Welfare. His ministerial roles have allowed him to influence policy decisions and implement programs aimed at improving the lives of his constituents.

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