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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.

Wielding Soft Power

Political parties are scrambling for the female mandate, as alliances vie against each other useing attractive schemes and slogans

Mumbai: Travel around Maharashtra and you will see hoardings with photographs of women voters—some hail the Chief Minister for caring about his “ladki bahins”, roughly translated as beloved sisters. Then there are some with women in the advertisement urging other women to vote for the ‘clock symbol’ or Ajit Pawar’s NCP for the largesse being doled out to the women. On FM radio, there are ads with women wondering if the monthly pension schemes for women will stop if the Mahayuti alliance loses the polls. Women, as we see, are at the centre stage of these assembly elections.


After the Chief Minister’s high octane Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana launch and campaign, the MVA has promised a monthly pension of Rs 3000 to the women of Maharashtra. This doubles the amount currently being doled out. There are riders of course; with a cap of the family income to be eligible for this pension. Election speeches, across parties, talk about women—their safety, education and employment opportunities for them and their children, promises which will tug at their heartstrings. Parties have also roped in a women force of campaigners to carry the message and appeal to women voters. The most vocal female politician in Maharashtra at present, Supriya Sule, connects effortlessly with women voters, breaking down development issues into a language which even the unlettered can understand. Around 10 per cent on the candidates of both alliances are women. Politicians are organising ‘paithani contests’, cooking competitions and making handsome donations to self-help groups run by women. Cash, competitions, fun and frolic are all being used to get the woman voter to their side.


Wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are working hard as campaign managers for male politicians. They can effortlessly hug a woman farmer, pat a young girl on the shoulder and can walk straight into the woman’s hearth and heart.


The focus on women lies in the numbers. Data by the election commission shows that Maharashtra has 46.6 million women voters as against 49.7 million men. The efforts are to draw a maximum number of women out of their homes to vote. Official data in absolute numbers showed that 5o per cent women voted pan India during the Lok Sabha elections this time.


There are sociological factors at play as well. Out of 288 assembly constituencies, there are 38 peculiar constituencies in various parts of the state where there is a larger percentage of women voters. This is because of the trend of men moving out of their towns and villages for work opportunities while the women stay back to tend to the farm or home. Some of these are Akola, Gondia, Shahada, Chiplun, Sindhudurg and parts of Kolhapur. Here, women will decide which candidate wins. With increasing education and financial independence, women now make their decisions without being coerced or influenced by men. It’s easy to then appeal to them with schemes and emotional messaging.


Women centric schemes have proven beneficial to the BJP in the past; the Ujjwal Yojana, the Laadli Yojana in Madhya Pradesh and the Lakhpati Ladli Yojana, among others, have helped the parties reap benefits from women voters.

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