Friends turn foes, foes turn friends in multi-cornered race to rule BMC as nominations end

The January 15 polls to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be a multi-cornered contest after twists and turns, marked by allies turning rivals and coming together of the Thackeray cousins after nearly two decades of estrangement.

- TDG NETWORK

Nominations for the polls ended on Tuesday, but a clear picture in each corporator seat of India's biggest and richest civic body will emerge only after the last date of withdrawal of candidature on January 2.

Going by pre-poll scenarios, constituents of the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are main contenders to rule the civic body with an annual budget of more than Rs 74,000 crore, but regional and smaller parties are also in the ring and determined to make their presence felt at the local level of urban governance.

The BJP and Shiv Sena, constituents of Mahayuti, are contesting 137 and 90 seats, respectively. The third Mahayuti ally NCP is fighting independently and has fielded 94 candidates, meaning the party will take on its state-level partners in nearly 100 seats if no nominations are taken back.