Flags of the BJP and Congress.
Credit: PTI Photos
Thane: The intense power struggle continue in the Ambernath town of Thane district as deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar came together on Friday to give a heavy blow to the BJP.
The past few days have sprung several surprises in the Ambernath Municipal Council (AMC).
In the December 2025 elections to 59-member AMC, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 27 seats followed by BJP (14), Congress (12), Ajit Pawar-led NCP (4) and Independents (2).
BJP's Tejashree Karanjule was elected as the AMC president defeating Shiv Sena's Manisha Walekar, in a direct election.
The Shiv Sena was four short of majority in the municipal body.
Even as Shiv Sena was making efforts, the BJP seized power by joining hands with Congress and NCP by floating a front named Ambarnath Vikas Aghadi.
As BJP joined hands with Congress, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was rattled and said that such an alliance will not be allowed.
In the meantime, the Congress disbanded it's Ambernath unit and suspended the councillors for violating party line.
However, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan took the opportunity and inducted the 12 Congress councillors in the BJP in presence of state forest minister Ganesh Naik.
In fact, Chavan and Naik are political opponents of Shinde and his son and Kalyan MP Dr Shrikant Shinde in the Thane belt.
A shocked Shinde hit back by pulling the four NCP councillors our of the BJP-led group and gaining support of an Independent member - thus totalling 32 in the 59-member body.
According to latest information, the NCP councillors were not comfortable in sitting together with the Congress members who joined the BJP.
When reports last came in, the necessary formalities were being done by Shiv Sena and NCP.