In a surprising political twist, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have joined forces in the Ambernath Municipal Council, Thane, to wrest control from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. The unexpected collaboration has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s political landscape.
Formation Of Ambernath Vikas Aghadi
Following last month’s municipal elections, where Shiv Sena and BJP contested separately despite their alliance at the state and national levels, the two national rivals decided to join hands locally. Along with councillors from Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, they formed the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi, securing a majority and effectively taking charge of the council in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
The coalition enabled BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule to assume the mayoral post, with the alliance commanding a 32-member majority — 16 from BJP, 12 from Congress, and four from NCP. BJP corporator Abhijit Karanjule Patil has been named the alliance’s group leader, cementing its control over council decisions.
Shiv Sena Reacts To ‘Unholy Alliance’
The move has drawn sharp criticism from the Shiv Sena, which now finds itself sidelined in Ambernath despite sharing power with the BJP in Maharashtra.
Shinde camp MLA Balaji Kinikar denounced the partnership as an “unholy alliance”, accusing the BJP of betrayal. Analysts note that while the tie-up solves the immediate contest for municipal control, it raises questions about loyalty and strategic compromises at the local level.
Pragmatic Politics or Controversial Compromise?
The BJP’s decision to partner with Congress reflects practical necessity rather than ideological alignment. With insufficient numbers to govern the civic body alone, the party opened negotiations with opposition parties to secure a functional majority. In municipal councils, the president decides which issues are tabled, but resolutions require majority support, making alliances essential in evenly divided bodies.
Political commentators are now debating whether this local collaboration signals a pragmatic approach to governance or a controversial compromise that could reverberate across Maharashtra politics.
