Against the backdrop of municipal elections in the state, the political atmosphere has heated up, and today is the last day to file nomination papers. As a result, there is hustle, dissatisfaction, and rebellion visible in all parties. In many places, loyal workers have been sidelined, while in some places, last-minute denial of candidacy has caused intense discontent among officials. Against this backdrop, news has emerged of a major split between the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.
The BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance has broken in as many as 14 municipal corporations in the state, and both parties will contest the elections independently. There was a major tug-of-war in the grand alliance over seat allocation. In some places, the BJP took an aggressive stance due to fewer seats, while in some cities, the Shinde faction outright refused to form an alliance. As a result of these differences, the alliance finally broke in many places.
In the 14 municipal corporations of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Nanded, Amravati, Malegaon, Akola, Mira-Bhayander, Navi Mumbai, Dhule, Ulhasnagar, Sangli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Jalna, the BJP and Shinde faction will be facing each other. Direct contests will now be seen in all these places, and there is political discussion about whether this will benefit the opposition.
However, even though the alliance has broken, the BJP and Shinde faction have maintained the alliance in the very important municipal corporations of Mumbai and Thane. Notably, the Ajit Pawar faction has been kept away from the grand alliance here. Therefore, the contest in Mumbai and Thane is likely to become even more exciting.
Voting for all municipal corporation elections in the state will take place on January 15, and the results will be announced on January 16. The municipal corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Navi Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are considered prestigious for the BJP, Shinde faction, and Thackeray faction. Now, with the alliance broken in 14 places, the entire state's attention is on how successful the grand alliance's strategy will be.