In a tactical retreat aimed apparently at keeping its unhappy ally Shiv Sena both in good humour and on leash and also ensuring the stability of its Government in Maharashtra, the ruling BJP on Saturday announced that it would not contest the Mumbai mayoral and deputy mayoral polls and also not seek elections to the posts of chairmen of the Standing Committee, BEST and various ward committees in the BMC “in the interest of Mumbai”.
In a surprising decision that took the wind out of the sails of the Shiv Sena leadership, the ruling BJP not only gave the power in the BMC on a platter to the Sena but also put the Uddhav Thackeray-led party in a dilemma by deciding to appoint a Upalokayukta for Mumbai to bring about transparency in the governance of Asia’s biggest civic body.
In effect, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — in a master stroke — nipped in the bud the possibility of the Shiv Sena walking out of the BJP-led saffron alliance Government and also sent out a clear-cut message to Uddhav Thackeray that through the to-be appointed Upalokayukta, his party would keep a close watch on the ruling Sena in the BMC, which has been ridden with massive corruption in recent years.
With the BJP withdrawing its claim over the BMC’s two elected posts, the Mumbai mayoral and deputy mayor polls have become a mere formality. As a result, Vishwanath Pandurang Mahadeshwar and Hemangi Warlikar — who filed
nominations on Saturday — will in all likelihood be elected as Mumbai’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively. This is notwithstanding the fact that the Congress, which has strength of 31 members in the 227-member BMC, has put up Vittal Govind lokhare and Vinni D’souza as its candidates for the posts of Mayor and deputy Mayor respectively.
An hour before the deadline for filing the nominations for the posts of Mayor and deputy Mayor ended at 5.30 pm, talking to mediapersons at his official residence ‘Varsha,’ the Chief Minister said: “The BJP will not contest the mayoral and deputy mayoral polls. Though both the BJP and Sena will have equal strength of 10 seats in the civic standing committee, we will not contest the chairmanship’s post in this committee. Similarly in other committees like the improvement committee, education committee and BEST committee where both the BJP will have equal number members, we will contest the elections to the posts of chairman in these committees as well”.
Reacting to the BJP’s decision not to contest the Mumbai mayoral polls, senior Shiv Sena leader and Minister in the Fadnavis Cabinet Diwakar Raote said, “We are happy that the BJP will not contest the BMC mayoral polls. That’s means the BJP has accepted the mandate given by Mumbaikars in the BMC polls in favour of the Shive Sena. We thank the Chief Minister for the BJP’s decision and congratulate our party president Uddhav Thackeray for the development.”
However, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan slammed Fadnavis. “By deciding not to contest the BMC mayoral polls, Fadnavis has kept the issue of transparency on which the BJP contested the civic polls under a wrap. More than preventing corruption in the Sena-ruled BMC, Fadnavis has taken the decision to save his government in the state and his own chair”.