Raj and Uddhav Thackeray during their recent rally (left) and Eknath Shinde.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thane: At a time when Thackeray cousins -- Uddhav and Raj -- have come together after two decades, asserting that they “have come together to stay together”, Maharashtra’s evolving political realignments threw up a surprise on Wednesday with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) backing the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s mayoral bid in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).
The development marks one of the most significant post-civic poll churns in the state, where ideological lines have blurred and local-level alliances have begun to reshape political equations.
It remains to be seen whether such suburban arithmetic will have any bearing on the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The KDMC, comprising 31 wards, has a total strength of 122 corporators. In the elections, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 53 seats, followed closely by the BJP with 50. The Shiv Sena (UBT) won 11 seats, the MNS five, Congress two and the NCP (SP) one.
With the magic figure at 62, the Shiv Sena is nine short of a majority, while the BJP is 12 seats away. The MNS decision to back the Shinde-led Sena has stunned not only the BJP, but also Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Neither Raj Thackeray nor Eknath Shinde has publicly commented on the development so far. While the Maha Yuti commands a majority overall, the contest for the mayor’s post in one of Mumbai’s most important Central Line suburbs has intensified.
The Shiv Sena is also reaching out to corporators from the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) to bolster its bargaining power. Two Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators are currently said to be unreachable.
MNS leader Raju Patil, former MLA from Kalyan Rural, was in touch with Shiv Sena leaders Dr Shrikant Shinde, Kalyan MP and son of the Deputy Chief Minister, and Naresh Mhaske, Thane MP and a close aide of Shinde.
The political manoeuvre unfolded while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who calls the shots for the BJP, was in Davos attending the World Economic Forum.
“We have backed the Shiv Sena solely for development. We have only five corporators in a House of 122, and from outside we could have achieved very little. So we decided to go along with the Shiv Sena and work for development,” Patil said, adding that Raj Thackeray has left alliance decisions to local units based on local requirements.
MNS Mumbai president and spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande echoed the view, saying the party chief has given autonomy to local units. Raj Thackeray’s aide and former minister Bala Nandgaonkar said disciplinary action was unlikely. “Such alliances do happen at the local level. As far as disciplinary action is concerned, the party chief takes a call,” he said.
Welcoming the move, Dr Shrikant Shinde said, “It is a good decision of the MNS corporators to join development efforts.” Asked whether corporators from other parties, including the BJP, should also support the Sena, he replied, “Yes, they should also support development.”
The development comes as a setback for the BJP, whose state president Ravindra Chavan is an MLA from Dombivli. However, Mhaske and BJP MLA Pravin Darekar, a close aide of Fadnavis, insisted that the Maha Yuti remains intact. “The Shiv Sena and BJP are together and will govern the KDMC,” Mhaske said, adding that the Sena was free to expand its base.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), meanwhile, appeared unfazed. “There is still a lot of time to arrive at a final conclusion,” said Anil Parab, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC and a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray.