Seat-sharing negotiations within Nagpur's ruling political alliance have encountered early friction, casting a shadow over preparations for the upcoming Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections. The strain became evident on Friday when the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde formally laid claim to 50 seats, while representatives from the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) were conspicuously absent from a key discussion with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Shiv Sena Puts Its Demand on the Table
Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader and Member of the Legislative Council, Krupal Tumane, confirmed that a meeting was held between his party and the BJP earlier in the day. During this meeting, the Sena placed a formal demand for 50 seats in the 151-member civic body. Tumane stated that the BJP's negotiation team received the proposal and committed to discussing it with their senior leadership.
"Our meeting with the BJP was held today, and we demanded 50 seats for NMC," Tumane said. He added that the BJP team promised to relay the proposal to their top leaders, with another round of talks scheduled to take place in two days to finalize the details.
Addressing a Weakened Position
While staking a significant claim, Tumane acknowledged the party's diminished strength in the outgoing municipal corporation. He admitted that although the undivided Shiv Sena had won two corporator seats in the last NMC election, both elected representatives are no longer with the Shinde faction. Despite this, he strongly argued for the party's continued political relevance in Nagpur.
"However, the Sena has considerable presence here, and we have put our side forward to our alliance partner," Tumane asserted, emphasizing that the party's grassroots footprint justified its seat demand.
NCP's Absence Raises Questions
The negotiations were further complicated by the unexpected absence of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) group. Their no-show at the crucial meeting sparked immediate questions about coordination and unity within the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance at this sensitive juncture.
Tumane expressed uncertainty about the reason for their absence, stating, "I am not sure why the NCP (Ajit) leaders were not present during this meeting." He mentioned he was unaware if they had not received an invitation or if they had been given a separate date for discussions.
NCP Cites Prior Commitment in Mumbai
Leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP later provided clarification for missing the Nagpur meeting. Rajabhau Taksale, the party's vice-president, explained that most of their senior leaders were in Mumbai for a pre-scheduled meeting with their party head, Ajit Pawar.
"Most of our leaders were in Mumbai today because of a meeting with Ajit Dada," Taksale said. He assured that the party would engage in the seat-sharing discussions upon their return. "They will be back tomorrow, after which we will discuss the seat-sharing issue. We will meet BJP leaders after that," he added, indicating that talks would resume shortly.
Implications for the Alliance
This early discord highlights the challenges of managing a multi-party alliance where each constituent is eager to maximize its electoral gains. The BJP, as the dominant partner, now faces the delicate task of balancing these competing demands from the Shiv Sena (Shinde) and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) to present a united front. With the NMC polls approaching, the coming days will be critical for the alliance to resolve these seat-sharing disputes amicably and finalize a cohesive strategy to contest the crucial urban local body elections.
