Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday installed its only mayor (Sayed Iqbal) across Maharashtra’s municipal corporations in Parbhani, securing the post with the backing of the Congress even as strains within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) remained visible following the Chandrapur episode.
Numbers Game
Parbhani is one of the 29 municipal corporations that went to polls last month. The election has acquired wider political significance as the Sena (UBT) chose a Muslim candidate for the mayor’s post, inviting sharp attacks from the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In the 65-member Parbhani Municipal Corporation, the Sena (UBT) emerged as the single largest party with 25 corporators, while the Congress won 12 seats. Together, the two parties command 37 seats, well above the majority mark of 34.
The BJP has 12 corporators and the NCP 11. The civic body also reflects Parbhani’s demographic composition, with 30 corporators belonging to the Muslim community, including 13 from the Sena (UBT).
Iqbal Named Mayor
The Sena (UBT) nominated Sayed Iqbal for mayor, while the Congress fielded Ganesh Deshmukh for deputy mayor. The alliance came together amid speculation that the MVA had been badly strained after the Sena (UBT) supported the BJP over the Congress in the Chandrapur mayoral election, despite being part of the opposition bloc.
State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said that while the Sena (UBT) had failed to honour the spirit of the alliance in Chandrapur, the Congress chose to stand by its commitment in Parbhani. He said the party’s support was aimed at keeping the BJP out of power and strengthening both the INDIA alliance and the MVA. “This was done to protect the spirit of democracy and the Constitution,” Sapkal said.
He pointed out that despite having eight corporators in Chandrapur, the Sena (UBT) voted in favour of the BJP, calling the move politically incorrect. Supporting the BJP while attempting to discredit the Congress was akin to “a thief crying foul,” he said.
Defending his party, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav said the Parbhani outcome was never in doubt. He insisted that the developments in Chandrapur were limited to that city and did not reflect the broader alliance dynamics. “We had a pre-poll alliance with the Congress in Parbhani, and we were confident of winning,” he said.
BJP's Ban
The BJP, meanwhile, mounted a sharp attack on the Sena (UBT). Party spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that Uddhav Thackeray was pushing what he termed “Aurangzeb’s agenda”. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam also took a swipe at the Sena (UBT), claiming that Muslims constituted the party’s only remaining vote bank.
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