Ahead of mayoral race, Shinde shifts Sena corporators to hotel

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominated the civic polls across 29 cities in Maharashtra, the race to form a majority in the civic bodies has begun in earnest.

- HT Correspondents

While the BJP won a majority on its own in 14 municipal corporations, including Pune, Nagpur and Nashik, it will need its Mahayuti partners for eight bodies.In the first indication of the hard bargaining likely to ensue, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Saturday moved his 29 newly elected Mumbai corporators to the Taj Lands End in Bandra, fuelling speculation of a power tussle between him and the BJP after their alliance won a historic verdict that ended the Thackerays' reign in the civic body.

Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is the second-largest party in the BMC, fuelled speculation by saying his party could have its mayor in the BMC if “Dev” (God) was willing. He also suggested that Shinde’s party was wary of poaching attempts by its ally, the BJP.

During the BMC poll campaign, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders announced that the mayor would be “from the Mahayuti alliance”, avoiding naming any party to prevent bitterness with the Shinde-led Sena, which is keen to lead the BMC. It is against this background that Shinde’s move has caused a stir.