Resort Politics In Mumbai Again: Shinde Camp's Big Move After BMC Results

Resort politics has returned to Mumbai. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has started moving its elected representatives in Mumbai to a five-star hotel, a day after it emerged as the kingmaker in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. 

Sources have indicated two major angles to this development, including a possibility of poaching before the Mahayuti takes over control of the country's richest civic body.

The BJP-Sena combine swept the recent BMC elections, comfortably surpassing the majority mark, snatching power from the Thackerays after 25 years. However, no party has a majority on its own.

Read: After BMC Drubbing, Uddhav Sena's Balasaheb Post, Raj Thackeray's Open Letter

Shinde's hotel move likely factors in a possible scenario where Opposition parties join forces. In that case, they would need just eight more elected members to reach the halfway mark to assume control of the BMC, said sources.

There is also pressure within the party to not compromise on the mayor's post, they said, indicating that this move could be aimed at leveraging the bargaining power with the BJP.

The BMC Math

The majority mark is 114 in the 227-ward BMC.

The BJP has won 89 seats, while Shinde's Sena has emerged victorious in 29 seats. Together, the figure stands at 118, well past the majority mark of 114.

Besides, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, which had contested solo despite being in the Mahayuti, won three wards.

On the Opposition side, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Nirman Sena (MNS), led by the Thackeray cousins, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) fought together.

While Sena (UBT) finished second with 65 wards, MNS bagged six seats, and NCP (SP) one. Together, their strength stands at 72.

Read: How Failed Thackeray Reunion May Have Cost 1 Cousin More Than The Other

Separately, the Congress won in 24 wards, AIMIM in eight, and the Samajwadi Party in two.

In a scenario where the entire Opposition camp decides to unite to prevent the BJP-led alliance from taking over the BMC, the strength would further go up to 106, just eight short of the majority mark.

Here arises the fear of horse-trading and defections. If the Opposition side manages to convince just eight corporators from Mahayuti side to join them, the Thackerays and their allies could stall the expected BJP takeover of the BMC.

A Strategy To Bargain?

The move by Shinde is also being seen as a strategy to up his bargaining power with the BJP, said sources, as the Shiv Sena eyes the BMC mayor's post despite being a junior partner in the alliance.

Being in the kingmaker position, the Shinde camp wants a Sena corporator to get the prestigious post, said sources. The post has traditionally been with the Sena and a group of corporators want it to remain with them, they indicated.

There is pressure on the deputy chief minister from within his party, they stressed, adding that several corporators don't want him to compromise over the mayoral post.

The united Sena had been in power at the BMC for 25 years before the BJP's record victory in the recent elections.