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.

Thrust on Rural Schemes

Prime Minister

Just a year ago, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing. Established across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra, these Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. While launching this scheme the Prime Minister said, this is a huge step for the skill development of millions of youth making this day a memorable one.


While announcing this scheme the state government declared that the Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. Each Kendra will train about 100 youngsters in at least two vocational courses. The training will be provided by empanelled industry partners and agencies under the National Skill Development Council. The establishment of these Kendras will help the region attain significant strides towards developing a more competent and skilled manpower.


Prior to this there were no skill development centers in 28,000 gram panchayats (village councils) in Maharashtra. The plan is aligned with the Indian government’s vision for skill development. The increase in the number of such skill development centers will prevent rural youth from migrating to cities in search of employment opportunities. This initiative, to be executed by the Skill Development Society, which. aims to enhance employability for individuals aged 15 to 45 by establishing 100 new skill development centers across the state. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent inauguration of 511 Skill Development Centers simultaneously—the first of its kind in India. The upcoming 100 centers, set to launch in the new year, will expedite the creation of a skilled generation in Maharashtra. Colleges hosting these centers will have the autonomy to select courses tailored for local employment needs, ensuring alignment with the National Skill Qualification Framework.


Emphasizing the need for new skills for India’s agriculture sector, the Prime Minister pushed for natural farming to protect Mother Earth. During this event, he talked about the need for skills to assess balanced irrigation, agricultural-product processing, packaging, branding, and skilling people to get connected with the online world. “Various governments of the country will have to further expand their scope of skill development”, Prime Minister Modi had added.


Excellent scheme, much hyped and published by the Mahayuti government, remains today on paper. Series of meetings took place in the Skill Development department. Challenges faced in setting up 511 centers were reviewed and discussed. In one of the meetings it was also decided that the government officials should take the inspection instead of private organisations. Government is spending 13,000 crore rupees on this and in Maharashtra, 500 plus skill centers will take forward this skill development program in the state.

Comments

bottom of page