Amidst reports of Eknath Shinde being forced to move his Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporators to a hotel to avoid poaching, a similar situation has been reported in Kalyan–Dombivli. While the deputy chief minister is reportedly afraid of its victors jumping ship to the BJP or Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai, it is the Thackeray cousins who find themselves in a similar predicament regarding the KDMC.
The Shiv Sena (Shinde) had emerged as the single-largest party in the local body by winning 53 seats, while the BJP got 50 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 11 seats, while the MNS won five — a drop from its 2015 performance, when it had won nine seats.
The number 62 is the magic number needed in the KDMC, and with neither of the Mahayuti partners getting to the mark, the Thackerays fear poaching attempts. Both parties can make it to the majority mark on their own if they convince the opposition councillors to switch sides. This is said to be the reason why the former Chief Minister has moved his winning candidates to an undisclosed location. Nine councillors from the Thackeray Sena have been moved to an undisclosed location to avoid poaching. TV9 Marathi said in a report.
Return of ‘Hotel politics’
Meanwhile at the state capital, Eknath Shinde's corporators remain lodged at the Taj Lands End hotel to avoid being snatched by the BJP. As per news agency PTI, a senior leader of Shinde's party had earlier confirmed that the corporators were being moved to a luxury hotel in Bandra so that they can "refresh" themselves after a hectic election season. Another party functionary said the corporators would undergo "orientation" and will be housed in the hotel for a couple of days.
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The saffron party is hell-bent on handing a full tenure to a mayor of their choice in the BMC, while the Shinde faction demands 2.5 years in office since they fought the election in an alliance.
The Sena (UBT) leadership has cocked a snook at Shinde, claiming that the man responsible for bifurcating the party is now forced to lock up his own party men to prevent the same from happening to him. The alliance leaders are yet to find a common ground, even as the Thackerays are hoping that Shinde's men will back them to ensure that a Marathi will become Mumbai's mayor yet again.
