Power Play: BJP's Push for Mumbai Mayoral Seat Amid Sena Strain

Sanjay Raut from Shiv Sena (UBT) predicts Mumbai will see a BJP mayor, as the party is unlikely to cede the position to its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. This comes amid tension following the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance's win in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut declared on Monday that Mumbai is set to have a BJP mayor, indicating the saffron party's reluctance to share the post with its ally, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

This assertion follows the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance's recent victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, yet ambiguity remains about the mayoral appointment. Raut intimated that despite the Shinde faction's discontent, it has limited choices to assert its claim for the mayoral role. Discussions with the BJP's central leadership might result in the Shiv Sena obtaining other posts within the civic administration.

As political maneuvers continue, leaders allied with Shinde emphasize the symbolic importance of the mayoral seat falling to a Shiv Sena member, coinciding with the birth centenary of the party's founder, Bal Thackeray. January's BMC elections resulted in the BJP securing 89 seats, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction winning 65, Shinde's group obtaining 29, the Congress capturing 24, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ending with six seats in the 227-ward assembly.

(With inputs from agencies.)