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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.

The curious case of Shrinivas Vanga

Shrinivas Vanga

Mumbai: “I have committed a grave mistake of siding with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and joining his party”. These were the words of Srinivas Vanga who went missing on Monday evening. The cops have started a search operation for the missing MLA and heavy bandobast has been deployed at his residence.

Srinivas Vanga, a sitting MLA from Palghar affiliated with Shiv Sena, has been missing since two days after leaving home without notice. This comes amidst Vanga’s disappointment over being denied a party ticket for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.


Somewhat shy and introvert Srinivas Vanga hardly spoke in the assembly. Though he was in touch with the voters of his constituency, he never raised any important issue in the house. He preferred to sit quietly on the last bench. Eyebrows were raised when he joined Shinde after the split in Shiv Sena.


Softspoken Srinivas first contested Lok Sabha by-election as a Shiv Sena nominee and lost. In the 2019 Assembly election he was elected from Palghar constituency. This time around he was expecting the renomination.


Vanga’s family has since voiced concern over his well-being. They revealed that he has been struggling emotionally, withdrawing from communication and displaying signs of deep distress. His wife Suman, who is also very upset, revealed that he just took a few clothes in a small bag and left the house. The Shiv Sena leader has made no contact with anyone since then. He had reportedly stopped eating, openly weeping and even hinting at self-harm due to the disappointment.


Upon learning of the decision of party leadership, Vanga repeatedly expressed regret over his alliance with Shinde. While speaking to reporters, Vanga was weeping. He praised Uddhav Thackeray as a dev manus (God-like man), further reflecting his regret.


The Chief Minister Shinde reportedly reached out to Vanga’s wife, assuring her that her husband might still be considered for a position in the Maharashtra legislative council seat.


The MLA, son of the late BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, won his seat in 2019 as a Shiv Sena candidate before the party split. He later supported Shinde’s faction during the rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, expecting to be re-nominated. However, the party announced its candidates over the weekend and selected former MP Rajendra Gavit to represent Palghar, leaving Vanga out. In its list of 20 nominees announced on Sunday, the Shiv Sena fielded Gavit from the Palghar assembly constituency.


The emotional weight of Vanga’s situation has gained widespread attention, with videos of his remarks and tearful moments circulating on social media and news channels, stirring public and political discussions.

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