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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.

Unemployment Leads to Anger

Maharashtra has been facing a serious problem with unemployment. Based on current data, Maharashtra has a higher unemployment rate than the entire country. The COVID-19 epidemic has worsened the state’s unemployment crisis and resulted in job losses in several industries. The unemployment rate in Maharashtra has varied over time. Mounting cases of exam paper leak has added to the problem. As many aspirants were affected by the paper leak episodes, this has now become major election issue.  


The PLFS 2023-24 estimates the State’s urban unemployment to be at 5.2 percent, against 4.6 percent in the previous year. With respect to overall unemployment rate, Maharashtra clocked 3.3 percent in 2023-24, more or less the same as the national unemployment rate of 3.2 percent for the same period. What is the root cause of this sensitive issue and answer to this question is the exam paper leak. Due to which many examinations were cancelled and recruitment across the state and departments virtually came to standstill.


The repeated incidents of paper leak put the government at the receiving end. The anger of the people took the momentum as people started debating who is guilty of shattering crores of dreams, and jeopardising countless futures. A concern common to all the stakeholders, including the Chief Minister and the Maharashtra government, would definitely be, how can the well-oiled paper-leak industry be dismantled. Within a span of few months, three government exams have caused controversy for paper leaks and alleged tampering of marks. Police investigations into the leaks have revealed that all incidents of question paper leaks involve substantial amounts of money being exchanged in the process. Many instances have also revealed the involvement of government officials, teachers, and even personnel from printing presses in these acts. Social media plays a crucial role in the rapid circulation and dissemination of leaked papers, reaching thousands of participants almost instantly, most often in exchange for money.


The youths were up in arms and they took the issue to the streets. The opposition adopted an aggressive stance and raised the issue in the legislature. Under fire from all four sides, the government decided to bring legislation.  After much hue and cry and criticism, the Maharashtra government tabled the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in the state assembly. The Act aims to prevent paper leaks and malpractices in competitive examinations. The Act proposes stringent provisions, holding not only the individuals responsible but also the service provider or the company behind the paper leak. It proposes imprisonment of between three and five years and a fine ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs one crore.


The state government has announced that it would provide government jobs for 75,000 youths in the state.

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