BMC polls: BJP, Shiv Sena at breaking point

The upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said to be Asia’s richest civic body, is expected to be held in February and will be a trial of survival for the ruling Shiv Sena while ally BJP, which is now the dominant partner in Maharashtra Assembly, is eying to take control of the resource rich body.

BMC’s budget for the current year was a whopping ₹37,052 crore. In the last election held in 2012, Shiv Sena had emerged as the single largest party in the BMC council by bagging 75 wards out of 227. Raj Thackeray’s MNS had won 28 wards. BJP had won 31 wards then while Congress (52), NCP (13) and others (28) bagged the remaining wards.

Political observers say the election will primarily be a Shiv Sena versus BJP battle with both the parties sniping at each other. Bitterly opposed to demonetisation, Shiv Sena this week cribbed that the Narendra Modi Government is the “worst in 10,000 years”.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a decision on the alliance with Shiv Sena, which on its side, has maintained that it will only forge an alliance if there is an "honourable pact".

BJP, which emerged as the 'big brother' after the 2014 assembly polls, has already put in place its organisational structure up to booth levels in all the wards. Grassroot workers are of the view that the BJP should go it alone, and the party expects to win more than 80 seats or emerge as the single largest party in the 227-member House.

Workers are of the view that the party made good gains in the 2014 general elections winning 15 MLAs and 2 MPs but the need of the hour is to consolidate on these gains. "Time is ripe. If not now, then BJP will never be able to expand in Mumbai," a leader said.

"As per the assembly election results of 2014, BJP was ahead in over 144 wards," the BJP leader added.

BJP, which has been in power with the Shiv Sena in the civic body for over two decades now, does not want to share the anti-incumbency factor and is keen to unseat the Sena by highlighting alleged corruption there.

"Sena and BJP contesting separately will leave the Congress with no space in the election discourse. Congress, which is already a faction ridden unit will raise national issues and target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will work in BJP's favour as supporters of Modi will consolidate and stand firm with the party," a BJP leader said.