Mumbai mayor tussle: Shiv Sena-BJP talks today, poll likely on Jan 31; will respect mandate, says Eknath Shinde

MUMBAI: As the tussle over the Mumbai mayor’s post continued, BJP legislator Niranjan Davkhare on Monday made a strong pitch for the party to hold the mayor’s post in the Thane civic body for two years. State govt on Monday issued the notification for the mayor’s reservation lottery, which will be held Jan 22; it will be conducted by the urban development department.

The mayor’s election will likely take place on Jan 31, sources said.




Deputy CM Shinde on Monday said the mayor in the BMC will be from the Mahayuti and that there was no dispute with the BJP. Party functionaries said Shinde may go to New Delhi to resolve the impasse ahead of the start of Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s centenary on Jan 23.

Sena functionaries said a meeting between Sena and BJP netas will be held on Tuesday, the first after the BMC poll results. Sena’s ex-MP Rahul Shewale and BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam, BJP corporator Prabhakar Shinde and Sena functionary Sheetal Mhatre are likely to be part of the meeting.

Meanwhile, Shinde said there was no truth to reports of new political equations being formed in Mumbai or elsewhere in Maharashtra.

“We will not do the same as Uddhav Thackeray, who formed a govt in 2019 disrespecting the public mandate. We respect the public mandate. These three elections (Lok Sabha, assembly and municipal) were fought with the blessings of Balasaheb Thackeray and guidance of PM Modi. Accordingly, in places where we fought as Mahayuti, a Mahayuti mayor will be elected. Our fight is not for power or chair, our fight is for the development of Mumbai. We have focused on what we are going to give Mumbaikars,” he said.

On Sena corporators’ stay in the hotel, he said, “A meeting of our corporators was held, they were guided about what they should do in five years. Sena and BJP have contested BMC elections together. Wherever we contested together as Mahayuti, including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, there will be a Mahayuti mayor. It is Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth centenary… so workers may have a desire to see the mayor from Sena. We will discuss this.”

Apart from Sena, other parties like Sena (UBT) and Congress are also likely to register their groups on Wednesday.

Inputs by Nishikant Karlikar