Bhiwandi: Civic politics in Bhiwandi witnessed a significant churn on Monday ahead of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) mayoral election, with the Konark Vikas Aghadi (KVA) formally registering its five-member bloc at the Konkan Divisional Commissioner’s office. The move comes soon after former mayor and senior KVA leader Vilas Patil was granted anticipatory bail, paving the way for his return to active political manoeuvring.
Induction of Independent Corporator Boosts Strength
The key development in the bloc’s registration is the induction of the lone independent corporator, Nitesh Aenkar, into the KVA fold. With Aenkar’s entry, the strength of the Konark Vikas Aghadi has risen from four to five members. The officially registered bloc now comprises Vilas Patil, former mayor Pratibha Patil, advocate Mayuresh Patil, Neha Kathavle and independent corporator Nitesh Aenkar.
This realignment has delivered a setback to the BJP–Shinde Sena combine, which had been projecting a strength of 35 corporators in the civic house by factoring in the support of the independent member. The alliance consists of 22 BJP corporators and 12 from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. With Aenkar switching sides, the alliance’s effective strength has now dropped to 34, altering the numerical balance ahead of the mayoral contest.
Vilas Patil's Return Adds Fresh Dimension
Political observers say Vilas Patil’s renewed political activity has added a fresh dimension to the mayoral race. Soon after becoming active, Patil appears to have begun recalibrating the numbers, starting with securing the support of the sole independent corporator. The move is being viewed as a calculated attempt to strengthen his bargaining position in the evolving alliance dynamics.
While MP Suresh Mhatre has publicly stated that corporators from the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) will not align with smaller political groups, sources indicate that informal negotiations are underway. It is learnt that several corporators from the NCP (SP), Congress and the Samajwadi Party are in touch with Vilas Patil, fuelling speculation of further political realignments.
With the KVA bloc now officially registered the stage is set for intense political manoeuvring in the run-up to the mayoral election, keeping Bhiwandi’s civic politics on a knife’s edge.
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