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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.

Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging Waqf Act on May 15





New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday scheduled the hearing of petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, for May 15 before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India-designate BR Gavai.



Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is set to retire on May 13, and Justice Gavai will take oath of the CJI office on May 14.



CJI Khanna said even for passing interim order, it requires lengthy hearing as it posted the matter before a bench headed by Justice Gavai.



"I do not want to reserve any judgment or interim order at this stage. This matter will have to be heard on a reasonably early date, and this will not be before me. If you all agree, we will post it before a bench of Justice Gavai," said CJI Khanna.



At the outset, the bench headed by CJI said that it has gone into the counter affidavit filed by the Centre and rejoinder affidavits of petitioners filed in the case, and certain points were raised with regard to registration of Waqf properties.



The bench also comprising Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan posted the matter for hearing on May 15. A batch of petitions challenging the Act was filed before the apex court, contending that it was discriminatory towards the Muslim community and violated their fundamental rights.



President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was earlier passed by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses.



The Centre had earlier assured the Supreme Court that key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards and provisions on de-notifying Waqf properties, will not be given effect to for some time.



The Solicitor General of India also gave an assurance that no appointments will be made to the Waqf Council or Waqf boards.



The central government on Friday filed its preliminary affidavit in the Supreme Court while seeking dismissal of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, as it saidthe law was not violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.



The Centre in its affidavit had said the amendments are only for the regulation of the secular aspect regarding the management of the properties and hence, there was no violation of the religious freedoms guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.



The Central government had urged the court not to stay any provisions of the Act said that it is a settled position in law that constitutional courts would not stay a statutory provision, either directly or indirectly, and will decide the matter finally.



It had been said that taking away the statutory protection to a Waqf-by-user does not deprive any member of the Muslim community from creating a Waqf.

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