Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena (Shinde) have hammered out a basic power-sharing framework for Mumbai’s civic body while registering as separate groups on Monday, but bargaining over key posts and committee chairperson positions is still underway.
ThePrint has learnt the BJP is set to get the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor’s post and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) the deputy’s position. But the BJP is not willing to part with the post of the standing committee chairperson, the most powerful committee in the BMC, which controls financial and project decisions.
The BJP initially wanted a single Mahayuti group to be registered, but the Shinde Sena chose to register separately so it could make decisions independently without being restricted by the BJP’s whip. The Shinde Sena also sought to share the mayor’s post on a rotational basis, getting the post for over a year if not a half term, a demand the BJP is unwilling to accept.
The mayor’s election is expected to be held on 11 February, with nominations to be filed by 6 February.
“We are the largest party in the BMC. Yes, we did not get the numbers we wanted, but after 25 years of mismanagement within the BMC, we have the chance to clean it up with our mayor,” a BJP corporator told ThePrint.
“Finally, the decisions will be taken by our leader, Devendra ji (Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis), and Eknath Shinde, but we have told our leader to let us keep the standing committee as well.”
Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporators say that they should be given the post of standing committee chairperson if they don’t get the mayor’s post.
“For years, we have had our mayor and standing committee, and we wish to have that. But that won’t be feasible. Ultimately, our leader Eknath Shinde ji will decide. And the formula will be decided within this week. But we want one of the two at least,” a Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporator told ThePrint.
The corporator also said that Shinde and Fadnavis had already held one meeting regarding the formula. “I believe that one more meeting will be held in a day or two, which will finally seal the deal,” the corporator said.
On Monday, both parties appointed their group leaders. The BJP appointed Borivali corporator Ganesh Khankar, while the Shiv Sena (Shinde) appointed Amey Ghole, the Wadala corporator who is a close aide of Eknath Shinde.
“There is no announcement regarding any posts. This will be done by Fadnavis and Shinde, and they will give you the information regarding this. The formula will also be decided only by Fadnavis and Shinde,” former Shiv Sena (Shinde) MP Rahul Shewale told the media.
There was speculation about the NCP corporators from both factions joining the Shinde Sena. However, Shewale said, “We are right now with the BJP, and as far as the NCP is concerned, they are a part of Mahayuti in the state. We will see what to do about the NCP and how to get the benefit of numbers in different committees.”
Also Read: BJP-Sena deadlock ahead of BMC polls as Shinde back at the table with Thackeray trump card
Sena & BJP as separate groups
For the last three decades, the Shiv Sena and the BJP shared power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under a fixed arrangement. From 1997 to 2017, when the two parties were allied, the Shiv Sena held the mayor’s post while the BJP occupied the deputy mayor’s position.
Even when the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP were together in the BMC until 2017, they registered as separate groups.
Under the arrangement, control of key committees was also shared: if the Shiv Sena had the standing committee chairperson’s post, then the BJP would get the improvement committee.
The improvement committee is responsible for land dealings and redevelopment projects, and is second to the standing committee.
The BMC functions through many different committees such as the education committee, health committee and garden committee.
The undivided Shiv Sena and the BJP used to share the posts of these committees for years.
But equations have changed since 2019. The Shiv Sena is split, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has joined hands with the BJP in government.
Corporation elections were held in January with the BJP and Eknath Shinde Sena fighting the elections together. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 corporators in a 227-member house. However, it fell way short of the 114 majority mark and needed its alliance partner Shiv Sena (Shinde), which got 29 corporators.
The Shiv Sena Shinde is aware that the BJP needs its support to form the government, and so it has been bargaining hard.
“The BJP cannot go without us all alone. And since we fought in alliance, we need to be given a respectable post. Even when the BJP was a junior partner, we (Shiv Sena) used to give them an equal share in the BMC,” said the Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporator quoted above.
As a part of the negotiations, the BJP has conceded ground in the neighbouring Thane Municipal Corporation, where the Shinde Sena is the single-largest party and the BJP has fewer seats.
Even in Kalyan-Dombivli, the BJP has remained content with the deputy mayor’s post despite having an almost equal number of seats.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)