While the Shiv Sena emerged victorious by winning 52 seats and overtaking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a fiercely fought battle in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections in Maharashtra, which stretched the alliance between both the parties to breaking point, the BJP’s five-fold raise from nine in 2010 to 42 this time despite facing polls independently is being seen as party’s increased appeal in urban areas.
The results have also put the Sena in a tight spot as it falls nine short of majority. The party is caught in a fix as it would either have to depend on nine independents of which three are supported by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) or will have to approach arch rival Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) seeking help, as it too won nine seats. The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have been decimated as they were reduced to four and two seats respectively.
While Sena leaders chose not to speak on possible alliances, sources confirmed that it will first try all non-BJP, non-MNS options. “We fought against the BJP. How can we suddenly join hands? Thackeray family is involved when it comes to dealing with the MNS, where other leaders have no say,” said a senior Sena leader.
“We can only decide if the Sena approaches us. We will take a call once we get a proposal from them. Until then, we would like to say nothing,” said MNS leader Nitin Sardesai.
“This is the indication that people have acknowledged our agenda of development,” said Raosaheb Danve, BJP’s State unit chief, while talking about party’s increase in the number of seats.
BJP insiders believe tha similar performance can be repeated in the upcoming Mumbai municipality elections if the party continues on its aggressive stand against the Sena. At present it holds 30 seats in the 227-member Mumbai Corporation and shares power with the Sena which has 75 seats.
“If we can increase our tally in KDMC on our own, why can’t we do it in Mumbai? We have 15 MLAs in the city. We can very well grab power here,” said a senior BJP leader from Mumbai.
The election campaign leading to the KDMC polls had turned in to a verbal war between both parties, after Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray warned of pulling out of the alliance. To which, Mr. Fadnavis had responded saying Sena was a drama company.
Relief for Congress
Suffering defeats in successive elections, the results of Kolhapur Municipal Corporation polls turned out to be the Congress’s saviour on Monday. The party not only emerged as a single largest party in yet another closely fought battle, but its leaders also have indicated that it will join hands with the NCP to keep mayor’s post with it.
Kolhapur was also targeted by the BJP where it had joined hands with rebel Congress MLC Mahadev Mahadik’s local front. Here too, the party managed to improve its tally from three in 2010 to 13.
However, Maharashtra’s former Minister of State for Home Satej Patil took the Congress to the victory in a four cornered battle by winning 27 seats. This is party’s first major victory in the State in two years. “This is to show that people are realising the truth behind ‘Achche Din’ drama. I hope that this is the beginning of Congress’s comeback,” said Mr. Patil.
