Significant internal discontent has surfaced within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra following the near-finalisation of a seat-sharing arrangement with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena for the upcoming Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections. The agreement, which allocates a smaller share of seats to the BJP, has sparked open anger among party workers and ticket aspirants, threatening the unity of the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance.
Protest Erupts at BJP Leader's Residence
The resentment boiled over soon after the seat-sharing formula became clear. For the 122-member KDMC, the Shiv Sena is expected to contest on 68 seats, while the BJP is likely to get 54 seats. Dissatisfied with this distribution, a large group of BJP aspirants and grassroots workers gathered outside the residence of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan in Dombivli. They voiced strong opposition to the alliance arrangement, demanding that both partners consider contesting the civic polls separately.
The protestors argued that a separate fight would ensure wider representation and prevent the morale of committed party workers from being affected. They expressed frustration that years of ground-level preparation were being overlooked for the sake of the alliance.
Ground Workers Feel Betrayed, Cite Past Efforts
Senior BJP office-bearer Ravi Gaikar highlighted the specific grievance in Kalyan West, an area where the BJP has a strong organisational presence but has secured very few seats. "We have been preparing here for several years," Gaikar stated. He pointed out that in the previous municipal elections, many BJP candidates lost by narrow margins of just 100 to 150 votes. "Those candidates worked extremely hard on the ground. It is deeply disappointing that they are now being denied tickets only because of the Mahayuti alliance," he lamented.
Echoing his sentiments, party worker Sadhana Gaikar confirmed that a delegation had directly placed its grievances before State President Ravindra Chavan. "We have explained our problems and the efforts put in by party workers. We are hopeful that the party leadership will think positively about us and take our concerns into consideration," she said. Chavan is reportedly holding discussions with the agitators in an attempt to calm tempers and maintain organisational unity.
Setback for Defectors and Risk of Rebel Candidates
Internal party sources reveal that the alliance has delivered the biggest setback to leaders who switched sides in recent years with the sole intention of contesting the municipal elections. Insiders indicate that both the BJP and Shiv Sena have largely decided to prioritise candidates who won in the 2015 elections. Consequently, leaders who were victorious in 2010 but later changed parties in hope of securing tickets are now facing rejection, fueling further frustration.
This discontent has led to speculation that some of these sidelined aspirants are in touch with opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and even sections of the Congress. Party sources do not rule out the possibility of a few entering the fray as rebel candidates if their demands are not met. Such a scenario could seriously complicate the electoral arithmetic for the ruling alliance in several wards.
Alliance Partners Scramble to Control Damage
Recognising the threat to their electoral prospects, both the BJP and Shiv Sena are now making concerted efforts to pacify the angry aspirants and their supporters. The stakes are high for the Shiv Sena, which has held power in the KDMC for several years. The area is also represented in Parliament by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, making a victory crucial for the party's prestige.
The current turmoil underscores the challenges of managing alliance dynamics at the local level, where the ambitions of dedicated workers often clash with top-level political calculations. How the BJP leadership addresses this internal revolt will be critical in determining the cohesion and performance of the Mahayuti in the Kalyan-Dombivli civic polls.
