Political discourse intensified on Tuesday after the unexpected alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation during the mayoral election. UBT leader Sunil Prabhu reacted to the development, stating, "Supporting the BJP in the Chandrapur mayor election was a decision taken by the local leaders. Party leaders will discuss with them why they did so. We will think about how to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future or whether the decision can be reversed." His remarks show the evident displeasure within UBT over the local-level political adjustment that has surprised many within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) fold.
Congress calls the move wrong and unjustified
Meanwhile, Congress leader Nana Patole also criticised the alliance, saying, "What happened in Chandrapur was wrong. Congress did not approach UBT for an alliance. Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar went to Sonia Gandhi, which led to the formation of the MVA and Uddhav becoming Chief Minister. We do not know why they took such a decision now, but what happened was wrong." Patole's statement shows Congress' frustration, suggesting the alliance move may strain the existing understanding within the opposition bloc.
What did the Maharashtra Congress chief say?
Rattled by the development, state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged horse-trading and blamed the Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi for the development. "In the Chandrapur mayoral election, the BJP secured 32 votes and Congress 31. The Sena (UBT) is an ally in the MVA and the India bloc. With its six corporators, the Sena (UBT) was expected to support the Congress. But the party chose to go with the BJP. This development will have consequences in the state," he told reporters in Mumbai.
A new strain within MVA?
The unexpected support to the BJP in a key mayoral poll has sparked questions about internal coordination between Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP). With several alliance leaders openly criticising the move, the coming days may see intense discussions within the MVA to prevent further political missteps at the local level.
BJP clinches Mayor post by a single vote
The Congress, which was poised to secure the mayor’s post in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, suffered a major setback on Tuesday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Sangeeta Khandekar was elected mayor with crucial backing from the Shiv Sena (UBT). Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Prashant Danav was elected deputy mayor. The contest saw multiple nominations, including Manasvi Sandeep Girhe of Shiv Sena (UBT), Sangeeta Mangal Bhoyar, Sangeeta Gopalakrishna Amritkar, Sunanda Dilip Dhobe and Vaishali Ajay Mahadule from the Congress, along with BJP’s Sangeeta Rajendra Khandekar and Sarika Sachin Sandurkar. Khandekar secured victory by a margin of just one vote, clinching the post with support from the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Fractured mandate leads to intense coalition battle
Until Monday, the political alignments in the civic body remained uncertain after a fractured mandate in the January 15 polls. The Congress emerged as the largest party with 27 seats in the 66-member council, while the BJP followed closely with 23 seats. This triggered a high-stakes race between the two parties to form a coalition and secure the influential mayor and deputy mayor positions. Shiv Sena (UBT) secured six seats, while the Bharatiya Shetkari Kamgar Paksh (Janvikas Sena) won three. Two seats went to the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), and one each to AIMIM, BSP and Shiv Sena. Two independents also won the election.
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