The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has set an ambitious target for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and state minister Ashish Shelar announced that the coalition aims to win over 150 of the 227 seats in the crucial civic polls, scheduled for January 15.
First Round of Seat-Sharing Negotiations
The BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena held their first formal meeting on Tuesday at the Shiv Sena's Dadar office to discuss a seat-sharing formula. This meeting marks the beginning of negotiations for the high-stakes election to control India's richest municipal corporation.
After the discussions, Ashish Shelar stated, "We have set a target to win 150 plus seats out of 227 in BMC. The BJP and Shiv Sena will contest the elections together. And we will ensure the next mayor is from Mahayuti." This clear statement underscores the alliance's confidence and its primary objective of securing a decisive majority.
Alliance Dynamics and Key Discussion Points
The preliminary meeting established some ground rules. It was decided that both parties would retain the seats where their respective candidates had won in the previous election cycle. However, a significant point of contention involves seats previously won by corporators who are now aligned with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). These seats are expected to be open for contest by both the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena.
A BJP leader present at the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the meeting was introductory. "Today's meeting was very preliminary where leaders from both sides met and exchanged views. We will arrive at a final formula once CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde meet at a later stage," the leader said.
Another critical point under negotiation is whether the BJP will contest more seats than its ally. The Shiv Sena has reportedly pitched for a claim on over 100 seats, arguing that in the 2017 polls, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 84 seats, and its tally later rose to 90 with defections. They assert their claim as the "real Shiv Sena." Conversely, BJP strategists are advocating for a merit-based distribution, where winnability is the sole criteria for allocating seats.
Parties In and Out of the Alliance Frame
The BJP has explicitly ruled out any alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the BMC polls. The party cited the NCP's decision to appoint Nawab Malik as its in-charge for the elections as the reason. Malik is facing charges in a money laundering case linked to members of gangster Dawood Ibrahim's syndicate.
In contrast, the BJP has expressed openness to forming an alliance with the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, indicating a strategic outreach to consolidate Dalit votes in the city.
The BJP delegation at the meeting included Minister Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam, MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, and MLC Praveen Darekar. The Shiv Sena was represented by MLAs Ravindra Waikar, Prakash Surve, and Rahul Shewale.
This development follows Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement on Monday, where he confirmed that the BJP and Shiv Sena would contest most of the elections across 29 municipal corporations, including the BMC, together under the Mahayuti banner. The outcome of these seat-sharing talks will be pivotal in shaping the political landscape of Mumbai for the next five years.
