Changez Multani (second from left), an independent candidate, met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence late yesterday

In an attempt to stake their majority and ensure their candidate is the mayor, the BJP and Shiv Sena, who both won neck and neck seats in the BMC polls, have started reaching out to independent candidates. Sena seems to have taken the initial lead by inducting back two independent candidates, while Changez Multani, another independent candidate, is believed to have offered his support to Sena.