Ambarnath Council Deadlock: High Court Delays Key Meeting Amid Seat Tussle
The ongoing political battle over the numerical strength of the Shiv Sena and the BJP-led Ambarnath Vikas Aghadi in the Ambarnath Municipal Council has now reached the Bombay High Court. This development has directly led to the postponement of a crucial meeting intended for the formation of the standing committee and various subject committees.
High Court Intervention and Meeting Deferral
Following the high court's intervention, the district collector took immediate action. The special meeting originally scheduled for Monday, January 19, at 11 am was deferred to 5 pm on the same day. This judicial order has effectively prolonged the political deadlock within the municipal body. As a result, the formation of key administrative committees remains in a state of suspense, delaying important local governance decisions.
Council Composition and Political Dynamics
The Ambarnath Municipal Council consists of 59 elected members. The current seat distribution shows Shiv Sena holding 27 seats, the BJP with 14, Congress with 12, the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) with four, and two Independents. Interestingly, despite the BJP lacking a clear majority in the House, its candidate, Tejashree Karanjule-Patil, won the direct election for the council president post. She defeated the Shiv Sena nominee, securing a significant administrative position for her party.
A minimum of 30 councillors is required to form the ruling body in the council. With no single party crossing this threshold and alliance talks between Shiv Sena and the BJP failing, the BJP strategically forged the Ambarnath Vikas Aghadi. This alliance gained support from Congress, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and one Independent. The coalition submitted a formal letter of support signed by 31 members to the Thane District Collector, staking its claim to power.
Dramatic Shift in Political Arithmetic
The political landscape changed dramatically when all four NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) councillors withdrew their support from the Ambarnath Vikas Aghadi. They pledged allegiance to the Shiv Sena instead. This sudden shift increased Shiv Sena's strength to 32 members, including one Independent. Promptly, the party submitted its own letter of majority support to the collector, challenging the BJP-led alliance's claim.
Legal Challenge and Court Directive
In response to this development, Abhijit Karanjule, the group leader of the Ambarnath Vikas Aghadi, filed a petition in the Bombay High Court. The petition challenges the actions of the four NCP councillors who switched sides. Taking cognisance of the matter, the high court issued a directive. It ordered that the meeting scheduled for 11 am on January 19 for the formation of subject committees be deferred until 5 pm the same day. This legal move has intensified the political standoff, leaving the council's future leadership uncertain.
