In a dramatic overnight development that has reshaped the political landscape of the Ambernath municipal council, all four corporators belonging to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have switched sides to extend their support to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. This move deals a significant blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had recently cobbled together a majority with an unlikely partner.
A Deal Struck for Deputy Chairperson Post
The sudden shift in allegiance is reportedly linked to a specific agreement. According to political sources, a deal was finalized wherein the Shinde Sena will back NCP corporator Sada Patil for the election to the deputy-chairperson's post, scheduled for January 12. This strategic move came after the BJP's decision to formally induct all suspended Congress corporators into its fold on Thursday, a step that apparently jeopardized the NCP's claim on the deputy chairperson position.
NCP leader Aanand Paranjape expressed his helplessness, stating that he has lost all contact with the four party corporators. "As far as I know, they were issued a whip by the BJP as part of the previous Ambernath Vikas Aghadi to vote for Pradip Patil for deputy chairperson post. After that I have not been able to contact them," Paranjape said.
Shifting Numbers and a Spillover of State-Level Rivalry
This realignment has crucially altered the arithmetic within the council. With the four NCP members now backing the Shinde faction, its total strength has reached 31 members. This surpasses the BJP's count of 27, which includes the chairperson. Furthermore, one independent corporator is also likely to renege on an earlier commitment and join the Sena, solidifying its position.
The political skirmish in Ambernath, located about 60 kilometres from Mumbai, is widely seen as a local spillover of the rivalry between senior leaders from the Thane district. Both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan hail from this region, and their tussle is causing visible strain to their alliance at the state level.
Sena Claims Majority, BJP Accused of 'Unholy Alliance'
Celebrating the turnaround, Shiv Sena leader Gopal Landge addressed a press conference on Friday. "An unholy alliance was formed (with Congress) by our ally (BJP) to keep us out of power. Now we are happy to announce that the NCP corporators have returned with us and we have an absolute majority in the House," Landge declared.
Local Sena MLA Balaji Kinikar directly targeted the state BJP leadership, accusing them of breaching "alliance dharma" by joining hands with the Congress, a traditional rival. The BJP had initially created the 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' in partnership with the Congress to prevent the Shinde Sena from gaining power, despite being allies in the state's ruling 'Mahayuti' coalition.
Explaining his group's decision, NCP corporator Sada Patil said, "We think that this move (BJP taking in Congress members) will hurt us. We are in alliance with BJP and Sena in the state government. We have not broken any alliance. We are doing what we think is best for the party."
The council had earlier submitted a letter to the Thane district collector on December 31, naming BJP's Abhijeet Gulabrao Karanjule-Patil as the leader of a 31-member group comprising 14 BJP, 12 Congress, 4 NCP, and 1 Independent corporator. However, the suspension of Congress members and their subsequent defection to the BJP triggered the latest chain of events, upending the fragile balance of power and setting the stage for a new political equation in Ambernath.
