top of page

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 OBC Unifier

Chhagan Bhujbal is known as a prominent OBC face in Maharashtra politics. He is also a good orator and had even acted in several Marathi films in his early days in the politics. He doesn’t hesitate in speaking out his mind and that keeps him involved in some or the other controversy all the time. His acts and words also help him remain in news headlines. It appears as if he loves all this.


Born on October 15, 1947, Chhagan Bhujbal started with a very humble background in Mumbai. With the family roots in Nashik, he used to run a family-owned vegetable shop at Byculla while pursuing his education in engineering. He was also involved in several social activities in the area that led him to join politics under Bal Thackeray. Eventually he became the corporator and then the Mayor of Mumbai. As a prominent Shiv Sena leader, he was known for his fiery speeches and strong organizational skills, which helped him gain popularity among the masses. As Mayor, he gave slogans like ‘Clean Mumbai Green Mumbai’ which became very popular.


Due to internal party politics, Bhujbal switched sides in 1991 and joined the Indian National Congress (INC) under the leadership of Sharad Pawar. He remained loyal to Pawar till 2023 when he left the NCP under Sharad Pawar along with Ajit Pawar and majority of other MLAs of the party. He had served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2009 to 2010 and had been a Cabinet Minister in various capacities, including Public Works, Tourism, and Social Justice during UPA and Mahayuti regimens in the state.


He faced allegations of corruption and misuse of power, which have led to legal battles and investigations. In 2016, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. However, he consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the charges against him are politically motivated. In 2023, he was appointed as the Minister of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection in the Eknath Shinde-led government.


While pursuing the politics within the NCP, Bhujbal emerged as a prominent OBC face of the state. He hails from the prominent Mali community. He floated Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad to pursue Mahatma Phule’s social agenda of equality. However, this was the same Bhujbal who, as a Shiv Sena leader, had ‘cleaned’ the Hutatma Smarak (martyre’s memorial at Flora Fountain in Mumbai) with ‘cow urine’ after it was defaced during a Dalit rally just about a couple of years before he joined Congress.


Bhujbal is also known for his keen sense of humour. His speeches in the assembly are spiced with apt anecdotes that make listeners giggle and laugh even as his opponents are hit hard. His standard reply, in jovial manner, whenever a journalist asks him about switching political party remains, “We do it for better prospects!”

Comments

bottom of page