Mumbai: BJP sets 150-seat target for BMC elections

The BMC headquarters opposite the CSMT railway station in south Mumbai. File pic/Ashish Raje

Political parties have started gearing up for the local body elections. However, the real test would be for the Mahayuti to ink an alliance and work out seat-sharing for the prestigious Mumbai civic polls.

According to sources, the BJP has called for ‘Mission 150' for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. On the other hand, its alliance partner Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is eyeing around 90 to 100 seats for the 227 corporator seats in the BMC.

The BJP's target and Shinde's goal take the combined tally to 250, far exceeding the actual number of seats. This means both saffron parties need to indulge in intense bargaining and seat-sharing negotiations, not only to put up a united front, but also to keep the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) at bay.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar are working out their game plan to ensure it gets the maximum share in the seat-sharing. "Our party's goal is very clear… to drastically improve the tally from 2017 numbers so that it can install its mayor in Mumbai," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. Installing mayor means the BJP's focus is clear. Whether elections are contested in alliance or not, the saffron party would not only like to become the single largest party, but even have a simple majority in the BMC house on its own. For any party to have a single majority in the BMC, it needs to touch the magic number of 114 corporators.

For nearly 25 years, the BJP and Shiv Sena (undivided) alliance ruled the corporation. In 2014, this alliance broke at the city level, and both parties decided to contest independently in 2017. Sena bagged 84 seats, while the BJP wasn't far behind, winning only two seats less than the Thackeray camp - a steep rise from 51 corporators in 2012.

For Uddhav, retaining power in the BMC is a must. But, with a split in Sena, over the years, Sena UBT's power and hold over Mumbai has been weakening, making the task difficult, especially as 43 of the 84 corporators elected on an undivided Shiv Sena ticket in 2017 have left the UBT camp and joined the Shinde faction.

Not to be left behind, Shinde, too, is putting all his shoulders to the wheel to make his party's footprint visible in the coming BMC election. ‘Bhai', as Shinde is fondly referred to, has already roped in 43 corporators from the UBT camp, and the number is likely to increase as elections near.

The race is clearly visible between the Mahayuti partners. After Shelar, now Shinde has hit the streets to inspect pre-monsoon preparedness in the eastern suburbs. On Thursday, Shelar had inspected eastern suburban areas. After Shinde's visit, his office issued a statement saying all work should be completed withing the stipulated period, of which 10 to 15 days remain. Civic contractors who fail to do so will face strict action.

Speaking specifically about the BMC polls, a Shinde camp leader stated that retaining Mumbai is key as the Sena's strength comes from this city. "Everyone knows that no party wins all the seats that it contests. Hence, we will need to contest significant seats to maintain our strength and presence," the leader said, hinting that the Shinde camp will ask for a good number of seats when it comes to forging an alliance for the Mumbai civic polls.