Nashik: Igatpuri Rejects BJP's 'Divide And Rule'; Shiv Sena Wins Chairman Post

Nashik: In the municipal council elections in Nashik district, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) delivered a strong blow to the opposition as well as its allies, the BJP and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), in several places. The Shiv Sena secured the mayor's post in a maximum of 5 out of the 11 municipal councils in the district.

The victory in the Igatpuri Municipal Council is the most talked about. The BJP adopted its usual 'divide and rule' policy in Igatpuri, but the people of Igatpuri rejected it.

After the election campaign began, the BJP had its sights set on Igatpuri. The BJP inducted former mayor Sanjay Indulkar and deputy mayor Naim Khan of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), who had held sway over Igatpuri for the past 30 years, into their party. Indulkar and Khan, along with their supporters, joined the BJP in the presence of state president Ravindra Chavan.

The BJP had a long-standing desire to capture Igatpuri. In the 2017 elections, the BJP was in a position to come to power. However, taking advantage of internal party dissent, the Shiv Sena won 13 out of 18 seats. In that election, the BJP had given tickets to newly joined members, which angered the old party workers. As a result, Sanjay Indulkar defeated the BJP's Firoz Pathan and secured the mayor's post. The BJP only managed to win 4 seats.

This year, the BJP tried to capture Igatpuri by bringing Indulkar and his supporters into the party. As soon as the elections were announced, Indulkar and Khan joined the BJP. The BJP thought that Igatpuri would now be theirs.

However, after the results, the BJP's dreams were shattered. Shalini Khatale of the Shinde Sena won the mayoral election. BJP's Madhu Mendhare and Mahavikas Aghadi's Shubhangi Dalvi were the other candidates in the fray.

During the campaign, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had promised to develop Igatpuri as a hill station like Mahabaleshwar, granting it tourist status and creating employment opportunities. He had also promised to bring a Mahindra company project to the Igatpuri taluka.

However, Igatpuri lacks basic amenities such as water supply, proper roads, and sanitation. The town is in a deplorable condition. The people of Igatpuri expressed their displeasure with former mayor Sanjay Indulkar and taught a lesson to the BJP, which he had joined.

This victory for the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena has created a stir in the district's political circles. It has become clear that the people of Igatpuri voted on the issue of development. Questions have also been raised about the seat-sharing and strategy within the Mahayuti (grand alliance).