In a significant development in Maharashtra politics after the Municipal Corporation Elections, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has reportedly shifted its newly elected BMC corporators to a five-star hotel amid poaching concerns.
Shinde Sena emerged a kingmaker in the just- concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Elections, winning 29 seats.
Its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party, securing 98 seats and taking the BJP-led alliance’s total tally to 118 corporators — just four above the majority mark of 114.
With the majority margin remaining thin, reports suggest the alliance is wary of possible attempts by the Opposition to woo elected representatives. This has prompted the Sena to move its corporators to a secure location to prevent any potential defections.
On the Opposition side, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 wards, while its ally Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) secured seven seats, taking their combined strength to 72 z — well short of the majority threshold.
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Meanwhile, the Congress, which contested the civic polls independently, won 24 seats. When combined with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which secured seven seats, and the Samajwadi Party’s two seats, the Opposition camp’s total rises to 105 corporators.
The remaining seats are held by the NCP alliance and Independents, who are expected to back the BJP-led bloc.
Given the political and financial significance of the BMC — India’s richest civic body — the ruling alliance is unlikely to take any chances and is keen to ensure that its flock remains together until the mayor is elected.
This will be the first time the BJP will have its mayor in Mumbai, ending the decades-old dominance by the Thackerays.