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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.

Shadows Dispelled

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

The suspense over Maharashtra’s next chief minister appears to be nearing its end with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who has helmed the state for over two years, all but paving the way for a BJP candidate to take the top job.


Calling Modi the “head of the family,” Shinde assured the BJP high command of his cooperation in forming the government. His remarks also sought to reassure Shiv Sena loyalists that their influence within the alliance would remain intact, even if the BJP were to lead from the front. Shinde’s remarks should ensure a smooth clearing of the decks for Devendra Fadnavis, the former chief minister who was hitherto Shinde’s Deputy, to helm the state once again.


Either way, the numbers strongly favoured the BJP this time after the saffron party, under Fadnavis’ steely leadership, staged a stunning comeback to snare 132 seats of the 149 seats it fought on to emerge as the dominant force in the Mahayuti coalition.


Shinde’s Shiv Sena performed superbly as well, with its tally of 57 seats exceeding their collective total of the opposition MVA parties who were all but decimated. But the BJP cadres, who drove the alliance’s resounding victory, are eager to see one of their own at the helm— particularly Devendra Fadnavis, the ace strategist.


Shinde’s announcement also underscores his pragmatic leadership. Having taken charge in 2022 after splitting from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Shinde has built a reputation for grassroots connectivity and welfare initiatives. His efforts have endeared him to rural voters, many of whom actively campaigned for the Mahayuti.


For the BJP, sidelining Shinde outright would risk alienating a dependable ally, especially one who helped shape the alliance’s identity. Yet the political arithmetic and mandate leave little doubt that the chief ministership must rest with the BJP. A delicate balancing act is required—one that consolidates the BJP’s leadership without undermining the Sena’s morale or Shinde’s contributions.


Maharashtra’s electorate has handed the Mahayuti coalition a sweeping mandate, expecting a government that delivers on promises rather than devolves into factional disputes. Whether Shinde assumes a supporting role or retains a position of influence within the administration, his deference to Modi’s decision reinforces the alliance’s unity—a quality that voters will expect to see reflected in its governance.


As the Mahayuti transitions to a new government, it must ensure that its internal decisions do not overshadow the needs of Maharashtra’s citizens. For Shinde’s supporters, his legacy as a transformative leader remains secure, even if he steps aside for a BJP chief minister. For the BJP, the challenge will be to lead with magnanimity, rewarding loyalty while respecting its coalition partners.


Maharashtra’s voters have opted for stability, governance, and a coalition that works. The Mahayuti cannot afford to let power-sharing disputes jeopardize that trust.

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