In a significant political upset in Nagpur district, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been denied outright control of the Katol Nagar Parishad despite emerging as the single largest party. The surprise outcome was orchestrated by a decisive last-minute alliance between the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Shetkari Kamgar Party (SKP).
A Coalition That Changed the Game
Counting of votes for the 25-seat local body concluded on Sunday, revealing a tightly contested battle. The BJP, led by sitting MLA Charansingh Thakur, managed to win 13 seats. However, the combined strength of the NCP(SP)-SKP alliance secured 12 seats. The real twist came in the election for the president's post, where the alliance's strategic move paid off handsomely.
Archana Deshmukh of the Shetkari Kamgar Party defeated her BJP rival, Kalpana Umap, by a substantial margin of over 2,200 votes. This victory in the president's race effectively prevented a BJP sweep in an area previously considered its stronghold, especially after the party's robust performance in recent state assembly elections.
Strategic Manoeuvring and Internal Frictions
The coalition was the brainchild of veteran leader and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. His calculated risk to ally with the SKP and offer them the president's post was a direct counter to BJP's growing dominance in the region. This move ensured the NCP(SP) retained its political relevance in Katol's civic affairs.
However, the alliance reportedly caused internal friction. Observers noted tension particularly with Deshmukh's son, Salil, who had earlier distanced himself from the party. On the BJP side, the choice of candidate for the president's post backfired. Kalpana Umap, wife of local leader Sameer Umap, faced voter resistance amid perceptions of frequent party-switching by the Umap family.
Personal Setbacks and Silver Linings
For MLA Charansingh Thakur, the result marks a personal setback. His panel had dominated the previous 2017-22 term, but this time could only manage a tie in the councillor tally against the opposition combine. While his daughter-in-law, Vaishali Thakur, won her ward comfortably, another BJP-backed candidate, Archana Dehankar, suffered defeat.
The outcome underscores the importance of strategic coalition-building in local politics and highlights potential vulnerabilities in the BJP's grassroots machinery in the region. It demonstrates how local dynamics, candidate selection, and timely alliances can override numerical strength in closely fought elections.
