Shinde Sena ties up with Raj Thackeray's MNS in Kalyan-Dombivli, deals big blow to BJP

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray meets Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde. (Image: PTI)

The Maharashtra politics saw another googly on Wednesday as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena kept aside its bitter rivalry with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to stitch up an alliance to prevent the BJP from securing the mayor's post in Kalyan-Dombivli.

Despite the Thackeray brothers contesting the civic polls together, the MNS has extended support for rival Shinde faction in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) dealing a blow to Uddhav Thackeray.

In the elections to the 122-member KDMC, the BJP put up a strong show, winning 50 seats in what is perceived to be a bastion of Shinde. While the Shinde Sena secured 53 seats, the MNS won five. Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction won 11 seats. The majority needed by a party or coalition to govern the KDMC is 62.

And even though the Shinde Sena and the BJP are part of the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra, in a surprising turn of event, the two parties locked horns to wrest the mayor's post in Kalyan-Dombivli with Shinde Sena opting MNS over the saffron party.

With MNS's backing, the Shiv Sena has effectively gained the support of 58 corporators, significantly boosting its prospects in the civic body and further consolidating its control over KDMC.

The tie-up comes at a time when suspense continues over the mayor post for Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), where the BJP-Shinde Sena combine ended the Thackeray family's nearly three-decade dominance over India's richest civic body.