Mumbai: Hectic political manoeuvring is expected in the coming days as suspense deepens over the election of the new mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has expressed hope that his party could secure the mayor’s post, even as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde moved swiftly to sequester his newly elected corporators at a five-star hotel.
“If God is willing, we will have our mayor in the BMC,” Thackeray said. Almost simultaneously, Shinde shifted his corporators to the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, a move that caught political observers off guard.
The development is particularly intriguing as Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction is allied with the BJP and, together, they command a comfortable majority in the civic body. Political circles, however, are abuzz with speculation that Shinde—known as a tough negotiator—may be pressing for the mayor’s post for his party, especially with the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray beginning on January 23.
The BJP, with 89 corporators, requires the support of Shinde’s Sena faction, which has 29 members, to run the BMC. It is believed that Shinde has been demanding the mayor’s position for two-and-a-half years. Until a final decision is reached, he is reportedly unwilling to allow his corporators to interact freely with the BJP or other party leaders, prompting their stay at the hotel near Bandra Bandstand. The Shinde camp is also wary of potential moves by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which has 65 corporators, along with support from six MNS members and one from the NCP (SP).
Several corporators currently with the Shinde faction were earlier with the UBT, fuelling concerns that Thackeray’s camp could attempt to woo them to tip the balance in the mayoral election. Thackeray’s remark invoking divine intervention was widely interpreted as a hint at possible behind-the-scenes efforts to win over members of the Shinde camp. His statement came amid uncertainty over whether the mayor will be from the BJP or Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. “It is my dream to install a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, and if God is willing, this dream will be realised,”
Thackeray told party workers. Meanwhile, the Shinde camp is reportedly working on a strategy to secure a substantial share of key positions in influential BMC committees. The Deputy Chief Minister is also said to be wary that excessive pressure during negotiations could prompt the BJP to poach his corporators. As a precaution, the newly elected members have been instructed to remain at the hotel until the mayoral election date is finalised. Addressing party workers at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Thackeray asserted that the BJP had failed to wipe out Shiv Sena (UBT) at the grassroots level. “They could not buy our loyalty,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that the political battle was far from over.
Speaking to the media later, Thackeray described the BJP as a “party on paper, not on the streets”. He alleged that had it been otherwise, the BJP would not have resorted to breaking other parties, using erasable ink during elections, or misusing state machinery. “The BJP may have finished the Shiv Sena on paper, but yesterday’s results prove they cannot destroy the Shiv Sena that exists on the ground,” he said.
Thackeray added that corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT), the MNS and the NCP (SP) would expose alleged corruption in the BMC and ensure that land belonging to “Mumbaikars” is used solely for public welfare. Meanwhile, both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were absent from the cabinet meeting.While Shinde was said to be resting on the doctor’s advice, Pawar was at Baramati.
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