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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 gimmick behind Malik’s forced candidature

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

The Mahayuti is trying to clean the tainted NCP leader by pitting him against controversial Abu Azmi

Abu Azmi

Mumbai: Though the BJP and its leaders vociferously opposing candidature of NCP leader Nawab Malik for the November 20 Assembly election, it is now revealed that pitting Malik against Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi is a game plan of Mahayuti leaders.


After deciding to stay with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP after the split, Malik suddenly announced his decision to contest the election from a neighbouring constituency. Now, he is entering the fray from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly seat against Samajwadi Party leader Azmi. This has raised many eyebrows in the political circle and the BJP leader Ashish Shelar promptly reacted and said that his party is against the candidature of NCP leader Nawab Malik.


Malik, who has been representing the Anushakti Nagar constituency, will be replaced by his daughter, Sana Shaikh, who was earlier part of Sharad Pawar’s faction after the split, but has now decided to join her father. NCP has announced Sana’s candidature from Anushakti Nagar. This will be her electoral debut. Nevertheless, Malik contesting from Anushakti Nagar is a calculated move of the Mahayuti leaders.


According to sources, the leaders of Shiv Sena, BJP and the NCP strongly feel that Malik is the only person who can check Abu Asim Azmi who is representing Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar for the last three terms. Ajit Pawar himself gave the nod to Malik’s candidature, sources added.


Interestingly, Malik was in the Samajwadi Party for several years.


The population of the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency is predominantly Muslim and believed to be around 58 percent. Maharashtrians, North Indians, South Indians and Dalits form the remaining 42 percent. Against this backdrop Malik is being regarded as a tough opponent for Azmi. The Samajwadi neta comfortably won the seat even when the Narendra Modi wave swept the country in 2014. In the last election, Azmi’s victory margin was 25,613 votes. Malik has made it clear that he will submit the nomination papers on October 29.


Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday named Sana Malik as the candidate for the Anushakti Nagar assembly constituency. Sana Mailk’s candidature strengthens chances of Nawab Malik contesting the polls from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency as an independent candidate.


Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case involving alleged land and money transactions between an underworld don and him. At the time, Nawab Malik was the most powerful spokesperson of the undivided NCP led by Sharad Pawar. After a prolonged legal battle, Malik was released on medical bail. During the Nagpur session of the state legislature when Malik was seen in the legislature party office, Devendra Fadnavis had written a letter to Ajit Pawar saying he should not be entertained since he has links with the underworld. Then Fadnavis had expressed strong displeasure over the entire episode.


Nawab Malik refused to elaborate over his decision to contest the election from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar. “I am going to file the nomination on Monday,” he said. “The people of Shivaji Nagar-Mankhurd are fed up of the drug menace. I will contest the election from there and win.”

If Malik indeed wins all the blots on him will vanish.

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