In a significant political development ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena on Monday night announced a seat-sharing agreement, drawing the battle lines for the upcoming civic polls. The BJP will contest 137 seats, while its ally, the Shiv Sena, will fight on 90 seats.
The Mahayuti Pact: BJP Gets Larger Share
The announcement came after prolonged deliberations and a late-night meeting between BJP’s Mumbai City president, Amit Satam, and Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale. The agreement covers all 227 electoral wards of the BMC, with both parties set to allocate a few seats from their respective quotas to other allied parties within the ruling 'Maha Yuti' coalition at the state level.
"We have completed our seat-sharing talks for the 227 seats. It has been decided that BJP will contest on 137 seats while Sena will contest on 90 seats," confirmed Amit Satam. He added that candidates from both parties would file their nomination papers on Tuesday and undertake joint campaigning. "We will seek the votes together and install the Maha Yuti’s mayor in Mumbai," Satam stated, outlining the coalition's unified goal.
Nomination Rush: Parties Scramble as Deadline Looms
With the deadline for filing nominations ending on Tuesday for the January 15 elections, political parties across the spectrum were in a frenzy on Monday to finalise candidates and issue the mandatory 'AB' forms, which denote a party's approval for a candidate.
The Indian National Congress released its first list of 87 candidates, a day after formally announcing an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). The Congress list focuses heavily on the western suburbs, including areas like Dahisar, Kandivli, Malad, Versova, and Andheri West. The candidates have been primarily finalised from constituencies represented by its sitting MLAs, such as Aslam Sheikh, Amin Patel, and Jyoti Gaikwad.
Other parties like the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), VBA, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also released their candidate lists. However, the BJP, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) had not officially released their lists as of Monday night.
Internal Dynamics and Ticket Distribution Drama
Behind the scenes, the Shiv Sena (UBT) was actively distributing AB forms, having issued them to 102 candidates by Monday evening. The distribution, which began on Sunday, continued late into the night at Matoshree, the Thackeray family residence, where party president Uddhav Thackeray personally handed over authorisation letters to candidates.
Among the prominent recipients were Roshni Gaikwad (Ward 3), Ankit Prabhu (Ward 54), and former corporator Vishakha Raut (Ward 191). However, the process was not without its share of drama and discontent. Notably, AB forms were not issued for the Worli area, represented in the Assembly by Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, leading to uncertainty and the resignation of a local party functionary.
Former mayor Kishori Pednekar had also not received an AB form by late Monday evening. Party functionaries acknowledged internal discussions, including a reported face-off between leaders Anil Parab and Varun Sardesai over ticket distribution in Bandra (East). However, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut dismissed reports of any major rift, asserting that any differences would be resolved internally.
The scene outside Matoshree reflected the high stakes, with several hopefuls staging protests after being denied tickets. Aspirants Anjali Suryawanshi and Chetan Suryawanshi staged a sit-in demanding a ticket for Anjali.
BJP's Candidate Moves and The Road Ahead
On the other side, the BJP had issued AB forms to over 100 aspirants by Monday evening. The list includes several notable names, such as former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya’s son, Neel Somaiya, from Mulund West, and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar’s siblings, Makarand and Harshita, from Colaba. The party has also fielded several organisational workers and first-time candidates.
As the political machinery shifts into top gear, all eyes are now on the final nomination filings and the subsequent campaign for the BMC polls, scheduled for January 15, with the counting of votes set for January 16. The elections are poised to be a critical test for all major alliances in the financial capital of India.
