A day after results to the BMC elections were declared, political drama over which party will get to corner the Mayor’s post began with three of four independents extending support to the Shiv Sena. This takes the party’s tally for the mayoral election from 84 to 87, while the BJP has 82.
Independents and smaller parties account for 25 seats, and which of the two parties they choose to side with could decide whose candidate will hold the Mayor’s post for two-and-a-half years. With the Congress entering the fray, the situation promises to get more interesting.
Sudhir More, the Sena’s former zonal head in Ghatkopar, had rebelled by fielding his sister-in-law, Snehal More, from Ward No. 123 as an independent. Tulsiram Shinde, another Sena rebel from Ward No. 41 in Dindoshi did so as well. Both won on Thursday and joined the party at Uddhav Thackeray’s residence Matoshree. Similarly, another independent corporator, Changez Multani, from Ward No. 62 too extended his support to the party. Sena leaders will be holding a meeting on Saturday to discuss the party’s strategy ahead of the mayoral election, which is likely to held in the second week of March.
Meanwhile, the BJP chose to maintain silence on the issue. The party’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar clarified that no alliance talks are being held with the Sena, and said he was confident that the Mayor will be from the BJP. Party leaders, MLAs and ministers held a meeting at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s official residence Varsha on Friday to discuss the strategy. A senior party leader, who declined to be named, said the party will be aggressive in claiming the Mayor’s post.
Despite the Sena raising its tally to 87 , three smaller parties — MNS, NCP and SP — will play a crucial role in deciding the next Mayor. The MNS with seven corporators has decided on a wait-and-watch policy. “Yes, we could not do as we had hoped to do. We will introspect on areas where we are lacking and I am sure we will bounce back,” said former MNS MLA Nitin Sardesai.
When asked whether his party would extend support to the Sena in the Mayoral election, Mr. Sardesai replied, somewhat cryptically, that time will decide. “We have not been approached by any party till now. If they really need our support, let these parties come to us. Let them ask us whether we are ready to support; only then we can give our opinion. Till then, the whole talk about supporting either of them doesn’t have any significance,” he told The Hindu .
The NCP, which had enabled the BJP to form the government after the 2014 Assembly polls by declaring unconditional outside support, said though none of the parties have any ideological similarity with the NCP, it will consider support only on issues. The NCP has nine corporators. Sachin Ahir, the NCP’s Mumbai chief, said any decision will be taken in consultation with the party’s top leadership.
Similarly, the Samajwadi Party, which has six corporators, too avoided making commitments. Senior party corporator Rais Sheikh said his party doesn’t support either party. “We cannot tell you whether we will abstain from voting or not, but we cannot support any of these parties,” he said.
