The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has found itself at the centre of a political storm in Maharashtra after forging post-poll alliances with rivals Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in two municipal councils, prompting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to publicly disapprove the arrangements and order their scrapping.

Following civic polls held last month, the BJP joined hands with the Congress and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party under the banner of the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi to form the leadership of the Ambernath Municipal Council in Thane district, sidelining its ally Shiv Sena.

The party also struck a similar understanding with the AIMIM and other parties in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district.

Reacting to the developments, Fadnavis said the alliances were neither approved by the party leadership nor in keeping with BJP discipline.

“I am making it very clear that any alliance with the Congress or AIMIM will not be accepted. If any local leader has taken such a decision on their own, it is wrong in terms of discipline and action will be taken,” he told a news channel, adding that instructions had already been issued to scrap such tie-ups.

He said such arrangements would not be acceptable under any circumstances.

Congress suspended the 12 newly-elected councillors in Maharashtra’s Ambernath municipal council from party for forming alliance with BJP.

The developments drew sharp reactions from political rivals and allies alike. Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said, “What happened in Akot and Ambernath shows frivolous behaviour of the BJP. The party can forge an alliance with anyone to grab power.”

The BJP, NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the state.

In Ambernath, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats in the 60-member council but fell four short of a majority.

The BJP won 14 seats, the Congress 12, the NCP four, and two independents were elected in the December 20 polls.

The BJP then stitched together a post-poll alliance with the Congress and NCP, and with the support of one independent, the coalition’s strength rose to 32, crossing the majority mark of 30.

The three parties said the alliance was aimed at “saving the town” and ensuring stable administration.

The Shiv Sena, however, termed it “unethical and opportunistic”. Sena MLA Dr Balaji Kinikar called the move a betrayal of “coalition dharma” and contrary to the BJP’s national slogan of a “Congress-mukt Bharat”.

BJP councillor Tejashree Karanjule Patil was elected president of the council on Wednesday, defeating Shiv Sena’s Manisha Walekar, and took the oath the same day.

The election for the vice-president is due shortly. BJP councillor Abhijit Karanjule Patil, appointed group leader, said the alliance was formed to free Ambernath from “corruption and intimidation”.

Eknath Shinde’s son and Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde also expressed displeasure. “It is inappropriate to join hands with political parties against whom we contest elections. If some people are doing it only to grab power, then seniors should look into it,” he said.

“It is selfish to join hands with people against whom Eknath Shinde rebelled. Some people should understand that power is not everything,” he added.

In Akot, the BJP formed the Akot Vikas Manch with the AIMIM, along with support from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena UBT, Shiv Sena, NCP, Sharad Pawar-led NCP SP and Bachchu Kadu’s Prahar Janshakti Party.

The BJP won 11 seats in the 35-member council, with two seats pending election, while the AIMIM secured two seats. With the backing of other parties, the alliance’s strength stands at 25.

BJP’s Akola MP Anup Dhotre claimed that four AIMIM councillors had left their party and joined hands with the BJP.

BJP’s Maya Dhule was elected mayor, defeating AIMIM’s Firozabi Sikandar Rana, while BJP’s Ravi Thakur was appointed group leader.

The alliance was registered with the Akola district administration on Wednesday, ahead of deputy mayor and committee elections scheduled for January 13.

The Congress, with six seats, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, with two, remained in the Opposition.

Dhotre told reporters, “The four AIMIM council members have left their party and joined hands with the BJP. We have not formed any alliance with AIMIM.”

Akola BJP MLA Randhir Savarkar said that out of the five AIMIM councillors in Akot, four had “rejected the party’s hardline and communal stance” and opted to join the Akot Vikas Manch.

“The fifth member, from AIMIM and who won the election, remains out of reach. We did not ally with AIMIM, nor did we stray from BJP’s core principles,” he said.

AIMIM leaders, however, rejected the BJP’s claims. Former MP and party leader Imtiaz Jaleel said, “Our political stance is against the BJP. I have asked the party in-charge in Akot to brief me immediately.”

He said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had made it clear that the party would not have a truck with the BJP.

“He is upset over the decisions made by council members in Akot. If the BJP is part of any coalition, then we will not be involved in that,” Jaleel said.

He also denied that AIMIM councillors had quit the party. “I had made it clear to the councillors that we won’t be forming any alliance with the BJP. They told me they wanted to draw up a common minimum programme for our local areas with the BJP. However, I made it clear that development is secondary...ideologically, we can’t join hands with the BJP.”