With municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra just two weeks away, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has shifted into a significant damage-control mode. The party's state leadership is actively working to placate a growing number of disgruntled aspirants who were denied tickets, while also managing internal dissent over alliance decisions.
Strategic Appointment and Communal Sentiment Fallout
In a key move announced on Thursday, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan declared that former MP Poonam Mahajan has been appointed as the poll-incharge for the crucial Vasai-Virar municipal corporations. This decision carries symbolic weight, as Mahajan was dropped as the sitting MP from the Mumbai North Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in favor of lawyer Ujjwal Nikam.
This appointment follows closely on the heels of a controversial statement made by BJP member Kripa Shankar Singh. Singh had suggested that the next mayor of Vasai-Virar could be from the North Indian community, a remark that sparked immediate backlash from within the party organization. Singh later clarified that his words were misconstrued and he meant no disrespect to the Marathi community.
Party insiders were quick to assert that Mahajan was never sidelined. "Poonam Mahajan was active in organization work. Now, every individual is given responsibility as per what the party thinks is appropriate," they stated.
Widespread Discontent and Leadership's Placatory Efforts
The discontent over ticket distribution is not isolated. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has personally taken charge of damage control operations to soothe candidates who were denied party tickets or are unhappy with the alliance arrangements. Senior BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule acknowledged the challenge, stating, "When a party is winning, the number of aspirants also multiply manifold and we have to accommodate them in the given number of seats. However, the BJP is not like other parties."
However, placatory efforts have not always been successful. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, local BJP candidates gheraoed minister Atul Save and BJP MP Bhagwat Karad. Similarly, in Nashik, senior leader Devyani Pharande publicly expressed her disappointment with the party for selecting 'outsiders' in certain wards. Senior minister Girish Mahajan, the incharge for Nashik district, defended the selections, saying, "Maximum preference has been given to BJP candidates. In very few cases, candidates who joined BJP from other parties were accommodated on merit."
Alliance Tensions and Pragmatic Compromises
Beyond internal dissent, the BJP is also navigating tricky alliance waters, particularly with the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In Thane, the local BJP unit had expressed its desire in writing to contest the elections alone, opposing the alliance with the Shiv Sena. However, the central and state leadership adopted a pragmatic approach to avoid antagonizing its ally.
Political managers reveal the complex calculus behind the alliance. The BJP sought an alliance with the Shiv Sena in Mumbai to effectively counter the Thackeray faction (Uddhav and Raj) on the Marathi and Mumbai plank. To prevent a division of votes, an alliance in Mumbai was deemed essential. However, Shinde drove a hard bargain, linking the Mumbai alliance pact with similar arrangements in Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli.
As a result, despite strong opposition from its local units, the BJP had to concede to Shinde's demands in Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli, agreeing to a seat-sharing formula that gave the Shiv Sena a respectable number of seats.
As the nomination process concludes, President Ravindra Chavan, along with senior ministers and office-bearers, is reaching out to local units where issues have cropped up. Projecting confidence, Chavan stated, "We don't see any problem. Everything is fine in the party. We are going to win." The party's ability to manage this in-house dissent and alliance friction will be critically tested in the upcoming polls.
