In a significant political move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have formally decided to contest the upcoming municipal corporation elections together in four major cities of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. The alliance, operating under the Mahayuti (grand coalition) banner, will jointly fight the polls in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Amravati, and Akola.
High-Level Meeting Seals Broad Agreement
The crucial decision emerged from a high-level meeting held in Nagpur on Thursday. Senior leaders from both parties were present, including Industries Minister Uday Samant and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. They held detailed discussions with BJP leaders, notably Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. These talks hold considerable weight as the municipal elections are being conducted for the first time since 2017.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Minister Uday Samant confirmed the alliance framework. "Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Chandrapur municipal corporations will be contested together as Mahayuti," he stated. He added that local allies would also be accommodated within this arrangement. Specifically, the Yuva Swabhiman Paksha will be part of the coalition in Amravati, while the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP will join the alliance in two of the civic bodies.
Nagpur Seat-Sharing: The Sticking Point
While the broad agreement on an alliance was sealed, the critical issue of seat-sharing, particularly in Nagpur, remains inconclusive. Samant declined to reveal specific seat numbers, describing the talks as "positive" and ongoing. Sources indicate that the Shiv Sena has put forward a claim for 27 seats in the 151-member Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
A senior Sena leader involved in the negotiations revealed, "The proposal was discussed, but no final agreement was reached on the exact seat-sharing formula." The leader pointed out that BJP legislators from Nagpur were not present at this meeting, and consultations with them are essential before a final decision can be made. The BJP has governed the NMC for three consecutive terms and is pushing hard for a fourth, making negotiations tense.
Strategic Stakes for Both Parties
The negotiations are complex, with both sides needing to balance several factors:
- For the BJP: Maintaining its dominance in Nagpur, which is also the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is paramount.
- For the Shinde Sena: Securing a stronger presence in Nagpur is central to its mission of rebuilding the party's urban base in Vidarbha. The undivided Shiv Sena had managed to win only two seats in Nagpur back in 2017.
- Alliance Arithmetic: Sources state that further meetings will weigh parameters like incumbency, winnability of candidates, and the overall arithmetic required to defeat the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Internal debates within the Shiv Sena also continue. At a separate meeting of party office-bearers in Nagpur, some leaders advocated for contesting independently to expand the reach of the party's iconic 'bow and arrow' symbol. Others, however, stressed the imperative of remaining within the Mahayuti fold to prevent a split in the anti-MVA vote.
Ministers of State Ashish Jaiswal and MLA Krupal Tumane were also part of Thursday's pivotal talks. With the election calendar tightening, further meetings between senior leaders of both parties are expected soon to break the deadlock over Nagpur and finalize a seat-sharing formula that satisfies both allies.
