MUMBAI: In the afterglow of winning the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections by a slim margin, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sees a threat and an opportunity. First, the threat. Shinde was forced to shift his 29 newly elected Shiv Sena corporators to a luxury five-star hotel in the suburbs as some of them had opened a line of communication with the Uddhav Sena for possible defection.
As for the opportunity, Shinde proposed to the BJP leadership that the Mumbai’s Mayor post should be shared equally between the two allies, adding his corporators should also get proper representation in various committees as well.
The BMC election mandate was in favour of the BJP-Shinde Sena alliance, which together won 118 seats, just four ahead of the halfway mark of 114 in the 227-member House. Highly placed sources said Shinde first shepherded his 29 corporators to Taj Land Sand, telling them that unless he snaps his alliance with the BJP, they must stay put at the hotel and not succumb to any pressure.
He also informed them that he wanted to continue unfurling the flag of the Shiv Sena at the 150-year-old BMC building so as to continue the legacy of the late Balasaheb Thackeray. Shinde then cancelled all meetings for the day, citing illness and began his wait for a call from the BJP’s top leadership to thrash out a deal. However, a few Shinde Sena corporators are learnt to be in touch with Uddhav Thackeray.
“It is true that some Shinde’s corporators phoned a person close to Uddhav ji and told him that they had no animosity against him and Aditya Thackeray ji. Since Uddhav’s party won a respectable 65 BMC seats, it could try to cobble together a new alliance.
If that works out, Shinde’s corporators could consider switching sides,” said a source who requested anonymity. Later in the day, Uddhav issued a cryptic message: “God willing, the next mayor of Mumbai will be from the Shiv Sena (UBT).” Apparantly aware of the pulls and pressures, CM Devendra Fadnavis simply said the next mayor will be from the Mahayuti alliance.