Political tussle over BMC Mayor intensifies, Shiv Sena’s 29 corporators leave hotel after five days, final decision likely in Delhi

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The political tug-of-war between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena has intensified following the results of the civic body elections in Maharashtra. After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) results, 29 Shiv Sena corporators were staying at a hotel in Bandra, Mumbai, and they came out on Tuesday evening after five days.

Out of the total 227 seats in the BMC, the BJP has won 89 seats while Shiv Sena has secured 29 seats. Together, the two parties are close to the majority mark. However, even before a consensus was reached on the mayor’s post, Shiv Sena had moved its corporators to the hotel. The party claimed that the corporators were staying there for an orientation workshop.

Shiv Sena has strongly asserted its claim over the mayor’s position. Party chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has indicated that Shiv Sena wants to retain the mayor’s post. He said that from January 23, the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray will begin, and party workers want a Shiv Sena mayor in the BMC on this occasion.

Shinde also pointed out that the BMC elections were contested jointly by Shiv Sena and BJP. He added that in civic bodies where both parties fought the elections together, the mayor should be from the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Meanwhile, the final decision on the BMC mayor is now likely to be taken in Delhi. In this connection, several BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leaders reached Delhi on Tuesday. These include Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam, and Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale.