Mahayuti to fight local body elections as United Front: Shrikant Shinde pushes for alliance in Kalyan-Dombivli
Shrikant Shinde admitted that the Shiv Sena and the BJP are locked in 'friendly fights' in several municipal council contests, but appealed to cadres on both sides to exercise restraint and refrain from personal attacks on their alliance partners.
Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP, has reiterated the need for unity among Mahayuti partners ahead of the crucial local body elections, urging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Ajit Pawar faction) to contest as one cohesive alliance in the Kalyan-Dombivli region and adjoining civic bodies.
Call for a unified strategy in Thane district
Addressing media on Tuesday (November 15), the Kalyan MP emphasised that the Mahayuti alliance must maintain its combined strength across Thane district’s municipal corporations. “Be it Kalyan-Dombivli or neighbouring civic bodies, elections should take place as an alliance and mayors should be from the Mahayuti,” he said, stressing that this view aligns with that of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is considered a bastion of the Shiv Sena, and maintaining control is seen as politically vital for the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Responding to intra-alliance rivalries
Shrikant Shinde acknowledged that “friendly fights” were taking place between the Shiv Sena and BJP in several poll-bound municipal councils. However, he urged all sides to maintain discipline and avoid personal attacks against alliance partners. “The alliance in the state as well as at the Centre is intact and strong,” he assured, asserting that both leaderships remain united.
Unease within the Mahayuti
The remarks come amid signs of tension between the Shiv Sena and BJP following reports of local Sena leaders being inducted into the BJP- a move that sparked resentment within the Sena cadre. The BJP’s growing presence in Kalyan-Dombivli, traditionally Shrikant Shinde’s political turf, has added fuel to these concerns.
Taking a pointed jab at his allies, Shinde remarked, “If someone wants to show their political strength, they should do it in the December 2 municipal council polls.” The BJP and Shiv Sena are currently competing in Ambarnath and Badlapur civic elections in Thane district.
Development over discord
Despite these local-level rivalries, Shinde underlined that top Mahayuti leaders, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, are focusing on development-driven campaigns rather than confrontation.
“The model being followed by senior leaders should set the tone for all our local units,” he said, highlighting developmental politics as the central theme for the alliance’s campaign.
Maharashtra gears up for major civic elections
Maharashtra faces a packed civic poll calendar with elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats set for December 2. Vote counting will be held on December 3. These will be followed by elections to 29 municipal corporations- including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Nagpur- as well as 336 panchayat samitis and 32 Zilla Parishads.
For the Mahayuti, a strong showing in these polls will serve as both a test of alliance cohesion and a reflection of its governance reputation ahead of the larger battles slated for the coming years.