Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday (January 7) firmly ruled out any alliance with the Congress, calling such an arrangement "unacceptable." He clarified that the decision taken at the local level in Ambernath would be corrected. The clarification comes in the wake of a surprising political development in the Ambernath Municipal Council, where the BJP and Congress reportedly joined hands to stop the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from coming to power. The move has significantly heightened political tensions in the state.
'Alliance not acceptable': Fadnavis
"An alliance with the Congress is not acceptable. The decision taken at the local level in Ambernath will be rectified; there will be no alliance with the Congress," Fadnavis said.
Ambernath, located about 70 km from Mumbai in Thane district, witnessed the unexpected alliance despite the BJP's long-standing campaign for a "Congress-free India." The alliance was aimed at keeping the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena out of power. The BJP-Congress tie-up has triggered sharp reactions across political circles and stirred considerable debate in Maharashtra's political landscape, highlighting the complexities of local-level electoral politics.
Congress-BJP alliance named Ambernath Vikas Aghadi
This alliance has been named "Ambernath Vikas Aghadi". However, these developments have caused significant discontent within the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. The Shinde faction is furious after the BJP-Congress alliance.
The Shiv Sena Shinde group has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, calling this alliance an "unholy alliance." Shiv Sena MLA Balaji Kinikar has accused the BJP, which talks about a Congress-free India, of forming an alliance with the Congress to attack the Shiv Sena.
Sequence of events
It is pertinent to mention that Ambernath is considered a stronghold of the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, is the MP from this constituency. Recently held municipal council elections saw the Shinde faction emerge as the largest party, but falling slightly short of a majority. The BJP's candidate was elected as the mayor.
The Shinde faction had expected that the BJP would ally with them to form the municipal council government. However, in an unexpected turn, the BJP instead formed the council government with the Congress at the local level, bypassing the Shinde faction. This decision has triggered sharp political reactions and added to the churn in Maharashtra's political landscape, highlighting the complexities of alliances at the local level despite larger state-level narratives.
Ambernath Municipal Council election result
Total seats: 60
- BJP: 14
- Shiv Sena: 27
- Congress: 12
- NCP: 4
- Independent: 2
On the BJP-Congress alliance in Ambernath, Shrikant Shinde said, "This question is entirely for our ally, the BPJ. BJP leaders will be able to answer this better. For many years, the BJP and Shiv Sena have been in an alliance at the central, state, and municipal levels. This alliance should remain unbroken. Shiv Sena was in power in Ambernath and Shiv Sena has done good development work in Ambernath. Now, whatever decision they want to take, Shiv Sena will be with those who practice politics of development."
What explanation did the BJP give?
The Shiv Sena has described the BJP-Congress alliance in Ambernath as a "stab in the back." However, the BJP has rejected these allegations. BJP Vice President Gulabrao Karanjule Patil responded to the Shinde faction, saying that if the party had formed a government with the Shinde group, which has been accused of corruption over the past 25 years, it would have been a highly inappropriate alliance. He also claimed that he had made several attempts to discuss a grand alliance with the Shinde faction for the Ambernath Municipal Council but received no response from their leaders.
While the BJP-Congress alliance is clarifying the power-sharing arrangement in the Ambernath Municipal Council, this alliance has created tension within the grand alliance. Whether this alliance in Ambernath is inappropriate or inevitable, the political accusations and counter-accusations are likely to intensify in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal issued a warning to party leaders regarding such developments. He stated, "If any local leader forms an alliance with the BJP, the Congress will take strict action against them. Under no circumstances will the Congress contest elections in alliance with the BJP, regardless of the type of election."
Also Read: BMC polls: Major setback for AIMIM as four of its five Akot councillors join hands with BJP
