Congress and BJP Forge Unexpected Alliance in Nashik's Malegaon Corporation
In a surprising political development in Nashik, the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have joined forces to create the Bharatiya Vikas Aghadi (BVA), despite having won only three and two seats respectively in the recent Malegaon Municipal Corporation elections. This move, which might seem insignificant given their small numbers, has positioned them as potential kingmakers in the 84-seat corporation.
Formation and Leadership of the New Alliance
The BVA has been officially registered with the Nashik divisional commissioner, marking a formal collaboration between the two national parties at the local level. Ejaz Beg, president of the Congress city unit, has been appointed as the leader of the group, while BJP's Madan Gaikwad will serve as the deputy leader. Gaikwad confirmed that the decision to form this alliance was taken with the approval of senior party leaders from both sides.
According to Beg, the primary objective behind forming the BVA is to ensure representation of both parties on the corporation's standing committee. "We have formed a group of five, and all members will make decisions collectively," he stated, emphasizing the collaborative nature of this new political entity.
Political Landscape and Strategic Calculations
The Malegaon Municipal Corporation presents a fragmented political scenario with no single party holding a majority. The seat distribution is as follows:
- ISLAM party: 35 seats
- AIMIM: 21 seats
- Shiv Sena: 18 seats
- Samajwadi Party: 5 seats
- Congress: 3 seats
- BJP: 2 seats
This distribution creates a complex web of potential alliances. The magic number to form the government is 43 seats, and currently, no single party or existing combination can reach this threshold without the support of the BVA's five members.
A senior BJP functionary explained the strategic importance of this move: "Whichever alliance offers greater weightage to the BVA will be able to rule the corporation for the next five years. This formation gives Congress and BJP significant bargaining power, despite being at the bottom of the seat tally."
Potential Government Formation Scenarios
Several possibilities are emerging for government formation in the corporation:
- ISLAM-Samajwadi Party Alliance: Together they hold 40 seats, but still fall short of the majority mark of 43.
- Shiv Sena-AIMIM Combination: This pairing would give them 39 seats, again requiring additional support.
- ISLAM-AIMIM Partnership: If these two parties come together, they would command 56 seats, potentially reducing the BVA's importance.
However, talks between ISLAM and AIMIM have reportedly stalled. An AIMIM leader expressed concerns: "Through social media, ISLAM leaders are claiming they have received a clear mandate from the people and that AIMIM should support them unconditionally. This is not a clear mandate. We have won 21 seats, which is a substantial number. While we are not insisting on the mayor's post, we want a clear development agenda, which they have not presented."
Post Allocation and Future Negotiations
According to a senior Samajwadi Party leader, under one proposed arrangement, ISLAM would secure the mayor's post, SP would get the deputy mayor's position, and Congress was likely to be offered the standing committee chairmanship. This distribution has reportedly prompted AIMIM to bargain for a larger share of power.
The same leader claimed that AIMIM is "trying to align with Shiv Sena to form the government," though AIMIM has denied such plans while stating that the final decision would depend on the party's central leadership.
If ISLAM makes what the BVA considers an "attractive" offer, the alliance—and by extension the BJP—is likely to extend tacit support to that combination to form the government. This strategic positioning ensures that despite their minimal seat count, the Congress-BJP alliance through the BVA holds considerable influence over who will govern Malegaon Municipal Corporation for the next five years.
