Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis with his deputy Eknath Shinde (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Even as the BJP–Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena combine enjoys a numerical edge in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), clarity on power-sharing remains elusive, fuelling speculation that the post-election churn in Mumbai is far from over. Adding to the uncertainty, the Shinde faction on Saturday moved all its 29 newly elected corporators into a five-star hotel in Bandra, a move that has raised eyebrows across the city’s power corridors.The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member House, still falls short of electing a mayor on its own and depends on the Shinde-led Shiv Sena to cross the halfway mark of 114. Together, the allies command 118 seats, but the question of who controls the mayor’s chair, and for how long, remains unresolved.Alliance talks likely to drag onDiscussions within the ruling alliance are reportedly set to stretch on, with Shinde keen on securing not just the mayor’s post for a fixed tenure but also control over influential civic committees that shape Mumbai’s finances and governance. Publicly, however, the Sena maintained that the gathering of corporators was part of a pre-planned three-day workshop aimed at orientation and training.What BJP saidChief minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to play down the political messaging behind the Sena’s move, rubbishing talk of “horse-trading” and insisting that Mumbai would see a consensus “Mahayuti” mayor. Drawing a parallel with his own engagements, he said, “Just as I am meeting newly elected BJP corporators in Pune, Eknath Shinde may have called his corporators for a meeting in Mumbai. There is no question of poaching,” he said in Pune.Projecting confidence that differences would be ironed out, Fadnavis added, “Eknath Shinde, I and other leaders from both parties will meet and jointly decide who will be the Mumbai mayor and for how long. There will be no differences. Everything will go smoothly, and together we will efficiently run Mumbai.”Sena wants the first biteAt the hotel gathering, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde felicitated his newly elected corporators, with Sena corporator Amey Ghole saying the three-day session would focus on the city’s development agenda, manifesto implementation and drawing up a five-year civic roadmap.A senior Sena functionary spelt out the party’s expectations bluntly: “We will demand the mayor’s post for 2.5 years — and that must be the first 2.5 years. The BJP can take the remaining term. The BJP does not have the numbers to elect a mayor on its own, so power-sharing is unavoidable.”“Committee posts should be shared in a 2:1 ratio. The Sena must get the standing committee chairmanship for two years, along with key positions in other committees such as the improvements committee,” the leader added.Sena leaders argued that sharing the mayor’s post was essential to maintain balance within the alliance and ensure that Shinde’s faction retained its political standing and ‘respect’ in the power arrangement.The final contours of the deal are expected to emerge only after Fadnavis returns from Davos, where he left on Saturday night to attend the World Economic Forum, with talks likely to resume next week.Ghole also said Shinde would use the workshop to familiarise corporators with civic administration, budgetary processes and policy priorities for the next five years.Uddhav smells uneaseFrom the opposition camp, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray seized on the hotel move to question the stability of the ruling alliance, claiming that the very need to ‘sequester’ corporators betrayed nervousness rather than strength. He alleged that several corporators elected on the Shinde ticket were originally from Sena (UBT) and could be vulnerable to further defections.Addressing his party’s corporators at Matoshree, Thackeray accused the BJP of “hollow victories and questionable political methods.”“The BJP wants to mortgage Mumbai. It won the polls through betrayal, and the Marathi manoos will not forgive this sin,” he said. “It is our dream to get a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected, and god willing, it will happen.”Warning of fluid loyalties, he added, “Those who defected once can defect again. Everyone is in touch with everyone. Many corporators elected on the Shinde ticket were originally ours. The BJP could try to engineer fresh defections for the mayor’s post.”Uddhav sharpened his attack further, saying, “Our defeat is bright, their victory is tarnished. I call them anacondas because the BJP’s mentality is to use and throw. They will even finish those they carried along,” he said, without naming Shinde.He also reiterated his belief that the pending Supreme Court verdict on the party name and symbol could dramatically alter the political landscape.“If the verdict is delivered according to the Constitution and they lose the name and symbol, they will cease to exist,” he said.Raj Thackeray keeps Marathi plank aliveMaharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, meanwhile, sought to rally his cadre despite the party’s underwhelming performance. Addressing workers, he urged elected corporators to turn civic bodies into sites of resistance against money power and policies he said diluted Marathi interests.Congratulating corporators from the MNS and Shiv Sena, Thackeray said the election had been fought under unequal and adverse conditions. “This was a fight between money power and people power, and it was directed against the Shiv Sena,” he said, crediting grassroots workers for “standing their ground.”While acknowledging the setback, he made it clear the party would not retreat politically. “We are not the kind to lose heart. Our corporators will bury the rulers there,” he said, adding that any move against Marathi interests would be firmly resisted.Post-poll churn in CongressThe Congress, too, is grappling with internal discord after a poor civic poll showing. The party has issued a show-cause notice to MLC Bhai Jagtap for making anti-party remarks and seeking the resignation of Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad. Issued by AICC secretary U B Venkatesh, the notice seeks a reply within seven days.Further cracks surfaced after Thane City Congress president Vikrant Chavan resigned following his defeat in ward 7. In his resignation letter, Chavan cited the absence of alliances and inadequate financial backing as key reasons for the party’s poor performance.Pawar family momentAdding another layer of intrigue, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s meeting with his uncle Sharad Pawar in Baramati on Saturday rekindled speculation of a thaw between the two NCP factions. The leaders have reportedly agreed to continue their alliance for the February 5 zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections, despite their poor showing in municipal polls.The closed-door meeting, attended by family members including Baramati MP Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar, fuelled merger talk. Deflecting questions, Supriya said, “Details of a closed-door meeting cannot be discussed publicly.”Ajit Pawar confirmed discussions but offered limited detail. “Senior leaders discussed an alliance for the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections and the possibility of friendly fights in some civic bodies,” he said.For now, the BMC verdict has settled the arithmetic but not the politics. Despite the Mahayuti’sa edge, the mayor’s chair remains a subject of negotiation, with public assurances of unity running alongside private bargaining and visible unease — suggesting an alliance still feeling its way through a fragile post-poll moment rather than one ready to seal a deal. Go to Source
