The North News
Mumbai, January 22
The Mahayuti will have its mayor in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan has asserted, amid suspense over political realignments as five MNS corporators offered support to BJP’s ally Shiv Sena in the civic body.
Chavan on Wednesday also stated that the Mahayuti will have its mayors in Ulhasnagar and Thane municipal corporations.
The BJP-Shiv Sena combine had received a clear public mandate in all three civic bodies, and the mayoral posts would be held by Mahayuti candidates accordingly, he said.
A final decision would be taken after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returns from Davos, when a joint meeting will be held in Mumbai between him and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chavan added.
The senior BJP leader said detailed discussions had been held on the mayoral posts in the three municipal corporations last week by him and Shiv Sena leader Shinde.
“As the people have given a mandate to the Mahayuti in all three municipal corporations, the alliance will form the civic administrations accordingly,” according to a statement issued by Chavan.
Amid the race for mayoral posts across civic bodies, a new political equation emerged in Kalyan-Dombivli on Wednesday with five corporators of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) offering support to Shiv Sena, which is in alliance with the BJP.
The MNS corporators’ decision could be viewed as a setback for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) as the two parties fought the keenly-watched January 15 elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) together.
In the 122-member Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, the Shiv Sena has emerged as the single largest party by winning 53 seats, while ally BJP stands second with 50 seats. With the support of five MNS corporators, there are now 108 members in the alliance.
Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) have won 11, 2, and 1 seats, respectively.
In the 131-member Thane Municipal Corporation, the Shiv Sena won 75 seats, while its ally Bharatiya Janata Party secured 28 seats, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 66 required to control the civic body.
In the 78-member Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, the BJP and Shiv Sena — both constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance— contested independently and won 37 and 36 seats, respectively.
The Shiv Sena later consolidated its gains by securing the support of two newly elected corporators from Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).
