All twenty-nine newly-elected corporators from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena gathered at a five-star hotel in Bandra, Mumbai on Saturday. This move comes as power-sharing negotiations between the BJP and the Shinde Sena for the Mumbai civic corporation are expected to take considerable time.
BJP Needs Sena Support for Mayor's Post
The BJP secured eighty-nine seats in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) House. To elect its mayor, the party requires the support of the Shinde Sena. Together, the two allies hold 118 members in the new House, forming a comfortable majority.
Shinde Sena's Demands for Key Positions
Senior Sena functionaries, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Eknath Shinde is actively seeking the Mumbai mayor's post for the first two and a half years for his party. Additionally, the Sena wants a significant share in key BMC committees, including the influential standing committee.
However, the Shiv Sena officially claimed it organized a three-day workshop for its corporators, which explains why they are staying together at the hotel. The party stated this gathering is purely for training and orientation purposes.
Fadnavis Downplays Hotel Move, Rules Out Poaching
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the situation while in Pune. He downplayed the Shiv Sena's decision to shift its corporators to the luxury hotel, firmly ruling out any possibility of poaching.
"Just like I am meeting newly-elected BJP corporators in Pune, Eknath Shinde may have called them for a meeting in Mumbai. There is no question of poaching," Fadnavis stated clearly.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that Mumbai will have a consensus "Mahayuti" mayor. He emphasized that leaders from both parties will meet and jointly decide on the mayor's position and tenure.
"Eknath Shinde, I and other leaders from both parties will meet and together take a decision regarding who will be the Mumbai mayor and for how long. There will not be any differences. Everything will go smoothly. Together, we will efficiently run Mumbai," Fadnavis assured.
Sena Seeks Respect Through Power-Sharing
Sena functionaries argued it would only be fair for the BJP to share the mayor's post. They believe this arrangement would give Shinde proper "respect" within the alliance. The party plans to formally request the first 2.5-year term for the mayor, with the BJP taking the subsequent term.
Since the BJP lacks sufficient seats to appoint the mayor independently, the Sena insists power-sharing is essential. They propose allocating posts on other committees, like the standing and improvements committees, according to the winning ratio of approximately 2:1.
Under this proposal, the Sena would secure the standing committee chairmanship for two years and chairpersons' posts in other committees as well.
Three-Day Workshop for Corporators
Sena corporator Amey Ghole provided details about the gathering. He explained that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will personally guide the corporators during the three-day workshop.
The agenda includes:
- Understanding the functioning of the BMC
- Reviewing the city's development plan
- Implementing the election manifesto
- Preparing a roadmap for the next five years
Senior party leaders will brief the corporators on BMC procedures and offer guidance for effective governance in their respective wards. The workshop will also cover strategies and campaign plans for upcoming zilla parishad elections.
Timeline for Final Decision
Chief Minister Fadnavis was scheduled to depart for Davos on Saturday night to attend the World Economic Forum. A final decision on the power-sharing agreement in the BMC is likely to be finalized only after his return next week.
Eknath Shinde felicitated all his newly-elected corporators on Saturday. The gathering at the Bandra hotel represents a strategic move as both parties navigate the complex negotiations for control of India's richest municipal corporation.
