Mumbai: Even after securing a clear majority in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, uncertainty continues over the mayoral post within the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance. In the 227-member civic body, 114 seats are required for a majority, while the ruling alliance enjoys the support of 118 corporators. However, the firm demand by the Shinde faction that it should get the mayor’s post has emerged as a major stumbling block.
Although there is no legal requirement that the mayor’s post must go to the single largest party, in practice it is usually held by the bigger party. The BJP, with 89 seats, is the largest single party in the corporation. The Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena has only 29 seats. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) has emerged as the second-largest single party with 65 seats.
The last mayor of Mumbai was Kishori Pednekar of the Shiv Sena, who has also won in the current election. The Shinde faction fears that conceding the mayor’s post would result in a major political setback, prompting it to take a hard line. Against this backdrop, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has entered the fray with sharp criticism.
Uddhav Thackeray accused Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of being afraid of the BJP. He alleged that the BJP won the election with the help of irregularities. “The BJP may win on paper, but it has not won on the ground,” he said. Thackeray added that it is the dream of the Shiv Sena (UBT) to have a mayor, and “with God’s grace, that will happen.”
Claiming that the real Shiv Sena is the party led by him, Uddhav said that if there are any genuine Shiv Sena members among those elected on the Shinde faction’s ticket, they will return to the parent party. He also warned that the BJP might attempt defections to secure the mayor’s post.
Meanwhile, the Shinde faction shifted its newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel in Mumbai on Saturday. Party leaders said the move was intended to provide post-election training to the corporators. The Shinde faction has announced that it will demand the mayor’s post for the first 2.5 years, along with a proportional share in key committee positions, including the Standing Committee chairmanship.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that a collective decision on the mayor’s post would be taken by the alliance partners. On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that while the opposition has the numbers to challenge the ruling front, it would respect democratic norms. Raut also claimed that even corporators from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena do not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai, adding that many people are in touch with his party.
The mayoral election is likely to be held on the 28th of this month. As the tug-of-war within the ruling alliance continues, political circles are closely watching who will ultimately secure the powerful mayor’s post that plays a crucial role in Mumbai’s civic administration.
