Maharashtra: Amid tussle over ministry, Shinde announces that Shiv Sena will contest BMC elections as part of Mahayuti

Mumbai. The division of ministries has not been done yet in the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra. The leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP and BJP, who are part of Mahayuti, are continuously holding meetings regarding the division of departments. There were also reports of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde being angry, but amidst all this, Shinde has made a big announcement regarding the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections to be held next year.

Shinde said on Thursday that Shiv Sena will contest the BMC elections to be held next year along with Maharashtra’s ruling alliance Mahayuti. Talking to reporters after a meeting with former BMC councilors, party MLAs, MPs and officials, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said that Mumbai has to become the largest and most developed municipal corporation in the country. He further said that to do this, the Mahayuti will have to take control of its municipal body BMC in the same way as it is handled in the state and the Center.

Uddhav hints at contesting elections alone
Shiv Sena chief Shinde said, “BMC elections will be fought as Mahayuti (alliance) in all 227 municipal corporation wards.” BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP are part of the Mahayuti alliance. Shinde’s remarks are important because his main rival Shiv Sena (UBT), which is part of the opposition MVA, has indicated that it may contest the BMC elections alone.

Shinde said that the previous Mahayuti government led by him took several steps regarding the development work of Mumbai, including making the roads pothole-free, running cleanliness campaigns and improving health services. The work done by the Mahayuti government in its first term (June 30, 2022-December 4, 2024) was reflected in the state assembly elections, where the ruling alliance won 22 of the 36 seats in Mumbai.

BMC is the richest Mahapalika in the country
Taking a dig at his rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said those in power earlier did not do the work that should have been done. The undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC, the country’s richest municipal body, for 25 consecutive years from 1997 to 2022. At the meeting, chaired by Shinde, the newly-elected MLAs of the Shiv Sena put forth their views on strengthening the party, the second largest constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

A Sena MLA said the MLAs stressed that the party should work at the booth level and efforts should be made to strengthen the organisation in Mumbai. Emphasis was also laid on organising a membership drive in each municipal corporation ward. Another MLA said that the party’s strategy for the elections of the country’s richest municipal corporation, which has a budget of about Rs 60,000 crore for the year 2024-25, was also discussed.

UBT and Shinde Sena were in competition in the assembly elections
Party leaders believe that the momentum gained by Shiv Sena in the November assembly elections should be carried forward in the BMC elections as well. The party won 57 seats in the assembly elections. Shiv Sena won six assembly seats in Mumbai, all of which are from the suburbs. At the same time, its main rival Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged victorious on 10 seats. The term of the previous elected representatives of BMC ended in early March 2022 and now new elections are to be held after almost three years.