Bhiwandi Mayor’s Race Heats Up As Congress Eyes Power While BJP’s First-Mayor Dream Faces Uncertainty

Bhiwandi: The race for the Mayor’s post in the Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) has turned into a high-stakes political chess game, with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s long-cherished dream of installing its first mayor in the city appearing increasingly uncertain.

Numbers Game

With no single party securing a clear majority, the Congress — which has emerged as the single largest party — now seems to have a strong pathway to the top civic post.

Political observers believe that with the backing of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) and the Samajwadi Party, the Congress could comfortably cross the majority mark. Though the official notification regarding reservation of the Mayor’s post is yet to be issued, intense behind-the-scenes manoeuvring has already begun, significantly heating up the city’s political atmosphere.

A look at the current composition of the civic house reveals why the mayor’s post remains wide open. The BJP has secured 22 seats, while Shiv Sena has won 12, taking the Mahayuti tally to 34. Even if one BJP rebel corporator is added, the number rises only to 35 — still 11 short of the required majority.

Even with the support of Javed Dalvi-led Bhiwandi Vikas Aghadi’s three corporators and Vilas Patil’s Konark Vikas Aghadi’s four members, the Mahayuti would still fall short by four seats.

In contrast, Congress holds 30 seats. If it receives support from the NCP (Sharad Pawar), which has 12 corporators, and the Samajwadi Party’s six corporators, the total climbs to 48 — a comfortable and decisive majority in the mayor’s election.

Kingmakers

Given this arithmetic, both the Samajwadi Party and the NCP (SP) have emerged as kingmakers. Their political alignment will determine who eventually controls the civic body, making them the most sought-after allies in the current scenario.

Historically, the mayor’s chair in Bhiwandi has often been decided through coalition politics rather than brute numbers. So far, the civic body has seen eight mayors. Vilas Patil has been the most influential figure, directly or indirectly holding sway over the post for nearly a decade. Javed Dalvi, too, has served twice, cumulatively for five years.

Congress has managed to secure the mayor’s post twice through alliances, while the undivided Shiv Sena succeeded once. Under the Konark Vikas Aghadi banner, Vilas Patil himself became Mayor once, his wife Pratibha Vilas Patil twice, and Yashashree Kadu also rose to the post with his backing.

Fresh Controversy

Dalvi first became Mayor between 2007 and 2009 with the support of the Samajwadi Party and Congress. He returned to the post from June 2017 to December 2019, striking an alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena despite Congress enjoying a full majority at the time.

Patil Family Remark Adds Political Heat

Political temperatures soared further after Mayuresh Patil, newly elected corporator and son of Vilas Patil, claimed that “as always, the mayor’s game in Bhiwandi will once again be set by the Patil family.” The remark triggered fresh debate across political circles.

It may be recalled that in December 2019, despite having just six corporators, Vilas Patil successfully engineered his wife’s elevation to the Mayor’s post with support from BJP and Congress rebels. However, following a prolonged legal battle, 18 corporators were barred from contesting elections for six years, forcing political families to field relatives. While most of them lost, family members of three Congress and NCP(SP) rebels have managed to win this time.

All Eyes on Reservation Notification

As the city awaits the official announcement on reservation and final alliance formations, one thing is clear — the battle for the Bhiwandi Mayor’s chair is far from over. The coming days will reveal whose political arithmetic works and whose moves fall short on Bhiwandi’s civic chessboard.

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