The discussions were primarily centered around the critical elections in Mumbai, highlighted by a meeting between Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray.
Raut informed the media that his party and the MNS would collaborate for the forthcoming civic polls in Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, Pune, and Nashik, with an official announcement expected in the upcoming week.
“There is no issue with announcing the alliance (between Shiv Sena-UBT and MNS) next week. Both brothers, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, will be present on stage for the announcement,” Raut responded when asked about the collaboration.
Regarding a potential alliance with the Congress, Raut mentioned he had discussions with the top leadership of Congress, requesting the party to participate in the civic polls as part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which he believes should also incorporate Raj Thackeray’s MNS.
However, he noted that Congress leadership has left the final decision to the local cadre.
Both the Opposition and the ruling Mahayuti affirmed that Mumbai would witness a Marathi mayor.
After a meeting between Shiv Sena and the BJP, Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam emphasized that the ruling coalition aims to surpass the 150-seat mark in India’s largest civic body.
“Our discussions are targeted at ensuring victory for Mahayuti candidates across all 227 wards, with the clear goal of securing over 150 seats in the BMC,” Satam told the press.
BJP leader and minister Ashish Shelar, however, dismissed any potential alliance with the NCP, a key member of the ruling Mahayuti, for the Mumbai civic elections.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the BJP of sidelining the Ajit Pawar-led NCP from civic election alliances to fragment secular votes.
In response, an NCP leader stated that the party had been diligently preparing for the civic polls and conducting weekly meetings to fortify its organization in Mumbai. “We will determine the exact number of seats we will contest after consultations with Ajit Pawar (the Deputy CM and NCP leader). In multi-cornered local elections, the individual candidates play a crucial role,” he noted.
On December 15, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked that the BJP and Shiv Sena would run jointly in most areas, while engaging in friendly contests against the NCP in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
For its part, Congress, led by Mumbai president Varsha Gaikwad, stated that her party would focus on local civic issues in next month’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, believing voters would not fall for the BJP’s ‘religious agenda.’
Imtiaz Jaleel from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a minor player in the state but with traction in Muslim-dominated areas, announced plans to contest seats in 27 of the 29 civic corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and expressed willingness to ally with like-minded groups and the Opposition MVA.
While he did not specify the number of seats, he indicated that candidates would be announced by December 22 or 23 for the January 15 elections.
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticized the BJP for claiming credit for his party’s past work. At a party event, he encouraged Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters to continue the initiatives undertaken by the united Shiv Sena from 1997 to 2022 when it governed the BMC.
With over one crore voters eligible to participate, they will decide the governance of the BMC for the next five years during the elections for the country’s wealthiest civic body.
The BMC released the final electoral rolls on its official website, reflecting a total of 1,03,44,315 voters across all 227 wards.
The upcoming elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the affluent Mumbai, will showcase the Mahayuti and MVA competing for electoral dominance in the state’s key urban regions. Vote counting is scheduled for January 16.
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