Mumbai: Twenty-nine corporators of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena returned to their homes on Thursday after a four-day stay at a five-star hotel at Taj Lands End, as intense negotiations continue over power-sharing in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following the civic polls.
Show of Strength Planned
In the next two to three days, corporators of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are expected to assemble at Konkan Bhavan in Navi Mumbai, the headquarters of the Urban Development Department, to formally register their respective groups. The meeting will also serve as a show of strength by the Mahayuti alliance and will be the first joint appearance of BJP and Shiv Sena corporators after the alliance secured a majority in the BMC.
Sena’s Stand On Posts
Sources from Shivsena said " We will wait till the reservation lottery result therefore we will go to the registration of the groups and we are claiming for standing committee and other important committees if not Mayoral post."
Guarding Against Defections
Meanwhile, sources said the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has taken custody of the election certificates of its winning corporators, reflecting concerns within the party leadership over possible defections at a time when talks on key civic posts are yet to be concluded.
BJP Displeasure Surfaces
The move to house Shiv Sena corporators in a luxury hotel while pressing for the mayor’s post had earlier triggered sharp reactions within BJP circles. Senior BJP leaders are said to have conveyed their displeasure to the party’s central leadership, citing unease over alliance dynamics in Mumbai.
Seat-Sharing Tensions
Dissatisfaction has also surfaced within the BJP over seat-sharing arrangements in the elections. Party leaders claimed that several seats contested at the insistence of the Shinde faction yielded poor results, affecting the alliance’s overall performance. While the BJP contested 135 seats and won 89, the Shiv Sena contested 90 seats but secured only 29, highlighting a wide gap in strike rates.
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Narrow Majority Fallout
BJP leaders have argued that had the party contested more seats independently, it could have crossed the 100-seat mark on its own. Instead, the alliance was forced to settle for a narrow majority, setting the stage for the current tussle over key positions in the civic body.
Mayor’s Post Bargaining
Despite emerging as the single largest party with 89 corporators, the BJP fell short of the majority mark of 114 and is dependent on the Shiv Sena’s support to form the BMC administration. Leveraging this position, the Shinde faction has demanded the mayor’s post for the first two-and-a-half years along with a significant share in influential committees, including the Standing Committee.
Emotional Appeal Invoked
Adding an emotional pitch to its demand, the Shinde camp has argued that the mayor’s post should go to the Shiv Sena during the birth centenary year of party founder Balasaheb Thackeray, beginning January 23, terming it a fitting tribute to his legacy.
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