Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has hinted at behind-the-scenes activity after the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena moved its newly elected corporators to a hotel, soon after the Mahayuti combine scraped past the majority mark in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Raut claimed on Sunday that several corporators of the Shiv Sena, who were part of the undivided party founded by Bal Thackeray, and even chief minister Eknath Shinde himself, do not want the BJP to secure the mayor’s post in Mumbai.
“If the corporators are locked up in the hotel, there are different sources of communication to send and receive messages,” Raut said, indicating that physical confinement does not necessarily prevent political outreach.
The Shiv Sena shifted its 29 corporators to a Mumbai hotel, officially describing the move as an orientation workshop to familiarise first-time members with the functioning of the country’s richest civic body.
The decision came soon after the BMC results, which made it clear that the Sena’s numbers would be central to the BJP’s plans to install a Mahayuti mayor. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 corporators.
Together, the BJP and Shiv Sena hold 118 seats in the 227-member House, a narrow majority that leaves little room for error and exposes the alliance to any internal dissent or cross-voting.
The mayoral contest gathered further attention after Uddhav Thackeray, whose party lost control of the BMC, remarked on Saturday that Shiv Sena (UBT) could still get the mayor’s post if “Dev” (God) was willing.
He also suggested that Shinde’s party was wary of poaching attempts by its ally, the BJP. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis responded with a touch of sarcasm.
“I am also called ‘Deva’, hence I am asking,” he said, adding, “God above has decided that there will be a Mahayuti Mayor.”
On the Opposition side, the Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats, while its ally, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), won six wards. The Congress, which contested separately along with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), won 24 seats.
AIMIM secured eight, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP three, the Samajwadi Party two, and NCP (SP) one seat. Put together, a united Opposition would have 106 seats, just eight short of the halfway mark.
This arithmetic, many believe, explains the Shiv Sena’s move to keep its corporators together.
When asked about the possibility of ‘ghar wapsi’ of corporators, Raut said, “Many new corporators are originally Shiv Sainiks (of undivided Shiv Sena). Our understanding is that everyone wants a BJP mayor not be elected. Even Shinde does not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai.”
Raut also said that discussions had taken place between Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray on the mayor’s post. “We are watching it neutrally. Many things are happening behind the curtains,” he added.
The Shinde camp, however, dismissed the speculation. Shiv Sena leader Sheetal Mhatre said the Sena and BJP had contested the polls together as part of the Mahayuti and rejected claims of hotel politics.
“Twenty of the 29 corporators have won for the first time and need to understand how the BMC functions,” she said. “We don't need to resort to hotel politics. The elected corporators have defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates.”
Mhatre also denied reports that the corporators were moved for bargaining over posts in the civic body.
Senior BJP leader Narayan Rane was more blunt in his response to the opposition’s claims. He dismissed the remarks by Thackeray and Raut as unrealistic given the numbers.
“Has Uddhav Thackeray started relying on god now? He has never folded his hands in front of god before. Will the mayor descend from the sky? Just look at the numbers. How will such a huge gap be bridged?” Rane asked.
