Will Uddhav Thackeray back the BJP to keep Eknath Shinde out of power? Will the two Shiv Sena factions bury their hatchets to keep the BJP at bay? Will Shiv Sena (UBT) welcome deserters from the Shinde faction to ensure a Marathi Shiv Sainik will become the mayor of Mumbai once again?
Local media reports are speculating on all possible "twists" amidst the lack of a clear frontrunner in the ascent to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor's chair despite Shinde himself affirming that the mayor will be from the Mahayuti. Fuelling the speculation further is a statement by Eknath Shinde Sena leader Uday Samant. The Industries Minister's claim that many councillors are "not reachable" post-elections has raised eyebrows.
"We fought the elections as part of the Mahayuti. What the earlier Shiv Sena did in 2019—contesting elections together and then going and sitting in the Congress’s lap—was not Balasaheb’s teaching. That is why Eknath Shinde is guiding the new councillors. When the election for the mayor’s post takes place, who will be ‘not reachable’ will be revealed as breaking news,” the Ratnagiri MLA was quoted as saying by Loksatta.
He also stated that the Sena-UBT need not comment on his party after having worked against Balasaheb's teachings. The Shinde rebellion was a consequence of this deviation and the people saw where that got the Uddhav camp. "This was the first councillor election after the split. We were elected in 29 seats, and in 15–16 seats we lost by a very narrow margin. People need to reflect on themselves. By going with the Congress, they betrayed Balasaheb. As a result, they neither got power nor leadership. Such people do not need to advise Shinde. So once again, I say very responsibly that when a mayor from the Mahayuti is elected, many people will suddenly be seen as ‘not reachable’, and we will come to know about it through breaking news,” Samant said, setting off a fresh political storm, Loksatta quoted him as saying.
In the recently concluded civic polls, the alliance of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won a clear majority in the 227-member BMC, securing 89 and 29 seats, respectively. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, while its ally MNS emerged victorious with six.
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The Shiv Sena (Shinde) has shifted its 29 members to a hotel in Mumbai, ostensibly for an orientation workshop to make them aware of the functioning of the country's richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
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The move followed the declaration of the BMC poll results, which showed that the seats won by the Shiv Sena are crucial for the BJP to draw up its strategy to get a Mahayuti mayor installed.
"Shinde has already shifted his corporators to a five-star hotel and, as per my information, the BJP is also planning to move its corporators to a safer place. Who is afraid of whom? You are the government. The Chief Minister is watching corporators being shifted while attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos (Switzerland). It is amusing," Raut told reporters.
Raut also dismissed speculation about Fadnavis holding talks with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
He further alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was attempting to engineer a split among BJP corporators in the neighbouring Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (in the Thane district) and could try a similar move in Mumbai.
Shinde had earlier split the Shiv Sena with the support of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he charged.
