Shiv Sena Chief Shinde Moves to Lock Loyalty of 29 Newly Elected BMC Corporators
Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde is taking no chances to prevent defections, completing all formalities for 29 newly elected BMC corporators who were moved to a five-star Mumbai hotel immediately after their victory.
Sources say the leader of the Shinde Sena corporators is likely to be named today. Names being discussed for key positions include Yamini Jadhav, Trishna Vishwasrao, and Amey Ghole.
Poll Math and Stakes
In the BMC elections — first since 2017 — the BJP-Shinde Sena alliance won 118 seats (BJP 89, Shinde Sena 29), while the UBT-Shiv Sena and NCP together won 72. The alliance has the numbers to cross the majority mark in the 227-member House, but the Mayor’s post remains a crucial point of negotiation.
Shinde, whose mutiny split the Sena, is expected to push for the Mayor role to assert his faction’s claim as the “real Shiv Sena,” while the BJP may also aim for the post, which it has never held in the BMC.
Securing Loyalty
- Immediately after the election, Shinde relocated all corporators to a hotel to foil poaching attempts.
- UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray warned that BJP could exploit defections, saying:
- “Those who abandoned a party once can do it again.”
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut noted that many corporators are new faces loyal to Shinde, adding:
“No matter the confinement, messages can still go through. If God wills, a Mayor from our side can take charge.”
Shinde loyalist Raju Waghmare emphasized that all procedures are being completed to prevent outside influence, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that the Mayor decision will be made jointly by key stakeholders.
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