Corporators locked in, paperwork underway: Why a wary Eknath Shinde is leaving nothing to chance

Shiv Sena president and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde. (File photo: PTI)

• Shinde's Shiv Sena moves corporators to hotel to prevent post-BMC poll defections
• Shiv Sena and BJP still undecided on mayor post despite Mahayuti majority
• Shiv Sena to finalize affidavits and support letters to secure its corporators.

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Amid growing uncertainty over which of the Mahayuti partners gets the coveted mayoral post after emerging as the winners in the recently-concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has gone into overdrive to keep its corporators together amid fears of poaching.

Soon after the results, all 29 corporators of the Shinde faction were shifted to a five-star hotel in Mumbai, a move party leaders privately admit is aimed at preventing defections at a time when numbers are tight and negotiations with ally BJP remain unresolved.

An NDTV report citing sources said Shinde has instructed his team to complete all documentary formalities, including affidavits and letters of support, at the earliest to legally lock in the corporators and close any window for political manipulations.

The Sena is also expected to name the leader of its BMC group shortly, with names such as Yamini Jadhav, Trishna Vishwasrao and Amey Ghole being discussed for key organisational roles. Party insiders say the move is meant to send a signal of unity and preparedness as talks on the civic body's leadership remain in limbo.

The Mahayuti secured a comfortable majority in the 227-member BMC House, with the BJP winning 89 seats and the Shiv Sena faction 29. However, the question of who will get the Mayor's chair has emerged as a point of contention between the allies. The Shiv Sena has traditionally controlled the BMC for decades, and Shinde is keen to claim the post to reinforce his argument that his faction represents the "real" Shiv Sena.

The BJP, on the other hand, sees an opportunity to stake its claim to a position it has never held, using its dominant tally to press its case.

Complicating matters is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' absence in Maharashtra on account of his visit to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, which has delayed formal negotiations on the Mayor's post. Senior leaders in the Mahayuti said the final decision will only be taken after Fadnavis returns.

Within the Opposition, the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP (Sharad Pawar) together have 72 seats, while the Congress has 24, AIMIM eight and the Samajwadi Party two. Though a united Opposition could theoretically push the numbers closer to the halfway mark, such an alignment is seen as unlikely. Still, the arithmetic has heightened anxieties within the ruling camp, prompting Shinde to take no chances.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, on the other hand, has claimed that the Shinde faction's move to lock-in its corporators is a result of its lack of trust in the BJP. "Those who once abandoned a party can do it again," he said. Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has also taunted the Shinde camp, saying many of its corporators are first-timers who may not be comfortable backing a BJP Mayor.

"No matter how much you confine them, messages can still go through," Raut said.

Rejecting the criticism, Shinde loyalist Raju Waghmare said the steps were purely precautionary. "We fought and won fairly. We do not want anyone to pressure or lure our corporators. All formalities will be completed properly, that is why they are staying together," he said.