BJP and Shiv Sena Unite for Civic Polls in Maharashtra

MUMBAI, Dec. 13 -- Weeks after a heated slugfest between the BJP and Shiv Sena during the first phase of local body elections in the state, the two parties in the ruling Mahayuti alliance have decided to mend fences. They will now contest elections to all major municipal corporations, including Mumbai and Thane, as an alliance.

The state BJP unit officially buried the hatchet on Friday, announcing that both parties will reconcile and contest elections to most municipal bodies together. A total of 29 municipal corporations and district councils (panchayat samitis) will go to the polls in January next year, marking the final leg of the three-phase elections to local self-governing bodies in the state.

Back-room meetings that led to this decision were intense and frequent. The process was steered by the BJP's central leadership and was initiated by a recent meeting between Shiv Sena leader and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and Union home minister Amit Shah. Shinde had expressed his concerns that the state BJP had violated the spirit of the alliance.

Following this meeting, a series of discussions took place over the last few days, including a significant one between Shinde and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, in the presence of state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and the BJP's election in-charge Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday. This was followed by a core committee meeting of the BJP to work out the details of the alliance for the municipal elections, and a meeting between Shinde and Chavan on Thursday night. Two days ago, Chavan met Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss seat-sharing within the Mahayuti.

Both parties were on the same page regarding two key aspects: one, to stop poaching local leaders from each other's camps, and two, to contest the elections as partners in most municipal corporations. 'We will constitute coordination committees at the local level in municipal corporations to chalk out strategy. We are positive about the alliance in almost all the major corporations. Decisions on Mumbai and Thane will be taken by top leaders of all three (Mahayuti) parties,' Chavan said.

Elections to all 29 municipal corporations in the state are expected to be held in January. However, since the decision relating to district councils and panchayat samitis is pending in the Supreme Court, their polls are expected to be delayed.

According to BJP insiders, the party had been attempting to lure local Sena leaders as a precursor to going solo in the corporation elections. 'The state unit had decided to go solo in most of the corporations in the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region), PMR (Pune Metropolitan Region), and even in Vidarbha as the party has a very strong base there. This had triggered poaching from each other's parties ahead of the first phase of the local body polls on December 2,' said a BJP leader.

A Sena leader revealed that Amit Shah had emphasized to state BJP leaders the importance of the seven Sena MPs in the Lok Sabha for the BJP-led NDA government in Delhi. To placate the Sena, the BJP may even consider compromising on the mayor's post in some municipal corporations.

The BJP and Sena are expected to contest Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan-Dombivli corporations together, but the BJP wants to go it alone in all Vidarbha municipal corporations.