In a significant political development ahead of the municipal elections, 15 former corporators of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) are expected to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jalgaon during Navratri. The move is being seen as a major blow to the Uddhav Sena camp.
The BJP had earlier expressed reservations about admitting these corporators, but senior party leader and minister Girish Mahajan has now backed their entry. Party insiders said Mahajan is determined to secure at least 67 out of the 75 seats in the upcoming Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) polls, up from the 57 seats the BJP won in 2018.
In the last elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had secured 15 seats, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) won three. Congress and the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) failed to win a single seat. The political landscape has since changed, with Congress virtually absent in the district and the NCP weakened by internal splits.
Despite opposition from some BJP workers, who fear their chances of contesting could be reduced, Mahajan is pressing ahead with the induction. Sources indicated that the official entry of the 15 corporators into the BJP is likely to take place during the Navratri festival, signalling a fresh challenge for Shiv Sena (UBT) in Jalgaon.
