In a surprising political development that has upended traditional rivalries, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress have entered into a rare local alliance in the township of Ambernath, near Mumbai. This unexpected coalition, which also includes the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has formed the 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' to take control of the municipal council, effectively keeping the Shiv Sena out of power.
The Election Results and the Power Equation
The local body elections, held last month, saw parties contesting separately despite alliances at higher levels of government. In the 60-member Ambernath Municipal Council, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single-largest party by winning 27 seats. The BJP secured 14 seats, while the Congress won 12. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction managed to get 4 seats, and 2 independents were also elected.
However, the Sena faced a crucial setback in the election for the municipal president's post. Its candidate, Manisha Walekar, lost to the BJP's nominee, Tejashree Karanjule Patil. While this gave the BJP the president's position, the party lacked the numbers among councillors to run the civic body independently, necessitating a partnership.
Forging an Unlikely Coalition
To overcome its minority status, the BJP initiated talks with opposition parties at the local level. These negotiations culminated on Tuesday with the formal announcement of the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi. The new coalition brings together 14 BJP corporators, the BJP-backed municipal president, 12 Congress corporators, 4 NCP (Ajit Pawar) corporators, and 1 independent.
This gives the alliance a combined strength of 32 members, comfortably crossing the majority mark in the council. BJP corporator Abhijit Karanjule Patil has been appointed as the group leader of the alliance.
Speaking about the move, Abhijit Karanjule Patil stated that the BJP contested the elections to fight against corruption and a culture of intimidation that prevailed under the Shiv Sena's long rule in the civic body. "Our objective was to free the municipal administration from fear and corruption and to ensure development in Ambernath. Keeping that goal in mind, we formed this alliance," he explained.
Political Reactions and Fallout
The unprecedented alliance has drawn sharp criticism from the Shiv Sena, with its leaders calling the Aghadi an "unethical and opportunistic arrangement." Shiv Sena MLA from Ambernath, Balaji Kinikar, pointed out the irony, noting that while the BJP campaigns nationally for a "Congress-free India," it has strengthened the Congress at the municipal level for the sake of power.
Within the Congress, a leader indicated that the local options were limited to aligning with either the BJP or the Shinde faction or remaining absent. However, he clarified that no formal proposal for an alliance had been received by the Congress state leadership and no official decision had been taken, suggesting the arrangement may be a local understanding.
This development in Ambernath highlights the complex and often pragmatic nature of politics at the grassroots level in Maharashtra, where national narratives can be set aside for local electoral arithmetic and administrative control.
