The power tussle between the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Ambernath municipal council seems far from over.
Four corporators of Ajit Pawar-led NCP, who had earlier supported the BJP to form a majority in the council house, have shifted to Shinde-led Sena overnight. Both Shinde and Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan come from Thane district, and the local tussle is seen as a spillover of the political rivalry between the senior leaders, which seem to be causing trouble to the alliance.
Ambernath, situated 60 kilometres from Mumbai, hogged national limelight after the BJP formed the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi by joining hands with arch-rival Congress, in a bid to keep the Shinde Sena out of power although they are partners in the state’s ruling alliance. The BJP had won the municipal chairman post but the Sena emerged as the single largest party in the council by winning 27 seats.
The Ambernath alliance had submitted a letter to the Thane district collector on December 31 announcing BJP’s Abhijeet Gulabrao Karanjule-Patil as leader of the group comprising 31 members: 14 BJP, 12 Congress, 4 Ajit Pawar-led NCP, 1 Independent. The Congress suspended all its corporators from the party, all of whom joined the BJP on Thursday. But this move seems to have irked the NCP as it reportedly endangered the party’s claim on deputy chairperson post in the municipal council.
In an overnight development, all four NCP corporators extended support to Shinde-led Sena. According to sources, a deal was struck that the Sena will support Sada Patil of the NCP for deputy-chairperson’s election to be held on January 12. With four corporators extending support to the Sena, the total strength of the party has now reached 31 compared to 27 of the BJP (including chairperson). One independent too is likely to breach earlier commitment and may join the Sena.
NCP leader Aanand Paranjape said that he has lost contact with all four corporators of the NCP. “As far as I know, they were issued whip by the BJP as part of previous Ambernath Vikas Aghadi to vote for Pradip Patil for deputy chairperson post. After that I have not been able to contact them,” he said.
In a press conference on Friday, Shiv Sena leader Gopal Landge said, “An unholy alliance was formed (with Congress) by our ally (BJP) to keep us out of power. Now we are happy to announce that the NCP corporators have returned with us and we have an absolute majority in the House.”
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Local Sena MLA Balaji Kinikar targeted the Maharashtra BJP chief, saying the BJP breached the alliance dharma by joining hands with the Congress.
NCP corporator Sada Patil said that he decided to join hands with the Sena after learning that the BJP took suspended Congress corporators in their party. “We think that this move will hurt us. We are in alliance with BJP and Sena in the state government. We have not broken any alliance. We are doing what we think is best for the party,” said Patil.
