The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has buried the hatchet, putting an end to weeks of public squabbling to present a united front for the upcoming urban local body elections. The truce comes just a day after the State Election Commission (SEC) announced the poll schedule for all 29 municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with voting set for January 15, 2025.
From Discord to Unity: The Course Correction
The alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP, had been locked in a bitter feud over power-sharing and alleged poaching of each other's leaders. The public discord threatened to derail their campaign for the crucial polls. However, a decisive intervention from the central leadership prompted a swift "course correction."
Sources indicate the reconciliation process began about a week ago when Deputy CM Eknath Shinde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Shinde reportedly voiced his grievances against the state BJP unit. Shah, in turn, advised him to resolve issues directly with the state leadership. This meeting set the stage for a series of peace talks among the allies.
Following the Delhi meeting, Shinde met with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur on December 9. They agreed the alliance must contest the corporation elections together and put an immediate stop to poaching. State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan also met Amit Shah and subsequently held discussions with Shinde to solidify the pact.
A Strategic Alliance Forged on Common Ground
The political calculus behind the unity is clear. Leaders from all three parties publicly acknowledged that fighting separately would only benefit their common rivals—the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Congress-NCP(SP) coalition. "Our allies understand that we will be ceding space to others in the BMC if we go our separate ways," stated CM Devendra Fadnavis after the SEC announcement.
Eknath Shinde echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the shared Hindutva ideology and the common opposition. He confirmed that the parties would contest collectively with a "respectable seat-sharing formula." The Winter Session of the Assembly in Nagpur (December 8-14) provided a backdrop for further closed-door meetings to iron out remaining differences.
Ajit Pawar, at an internal NCP meeting, stressed the importance of maintaining cordial relations with allies, stating, "Matters can be stretched only till their breaking point. We are in favour of cordial relations with our alliance partners and want unity." The three top leaders—Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar—also symbolically shared breakfast at the CM's official residence, signalling the renewed bonhomie.
The BMC: The Ultimate Prize and a Point of Prestige
For the BJP, securing this truce was particularly vital for the BMC polls. The corporation is not just India's richest civic body but also a symbol of political dominance in Maharashtra. A senior BJP leader framed the upcoming contest as a mission to "avenge the 2019 betrayal" by ending the Shiv Sena's three-decade-long control over the BMC, which is now held by Uddhav Thackeray's Sena (UBT).
The 2017 BMC election was intensely fought, with the undivided Shiv Sena winning 84 seats and the BJP a close second with 82 seats. Although the BJP provided outside support then, the subsequent fallout after the 2019 state elections led to the Sena (UBT) breaking ties with the BJP. The current Mahayuti alliance views capturing the BMC as the final step in dismantling the old Sena's stronghold.
While the truce was orchestrated by the central leadership, it faced internal resistance within the BJP. Several local leaders favoured the party contesting alone and exploring post-poll alliances. However, the central command prevailed, fearing that going solo could antagonise crucial allies needed at the Centre and inadvertently strengthen the Sena (UBT)-Congress combine.
The results for the corporation elections are scheduled to be announced on January 16, 2025. The schedule for zilla parishad polls is yet to be released. With their differences ostensibly set aside, the Mahayuti partners are now tasked with translating this political unity into a winning electoral formula on the ground.
