Mumbai: Alliance between Shinde camp-MNS on cards? Here's what we know so far

With its resolve to win 150 seats in BMC, BJP will not directly stitch an alliance with Raj Thackeray-led MNS in a bid to avoid loss of votes, especially from the North Indians. However, BJP’s central leadership including union home minister Amit Shah, has worked out a via media whereby the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led camp will join hands with MNS and ultimately they will tie up with BJP to defeat Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and thereby end its over three decades of supremacy in India’s richest civic body. This was discussed at the meeting between Shah and Shinde on Monday when the former had gone to Varsha.

A senior BJP leader, who was present at the meeting later chaired by Shah with the select party leaders, told the Free Press Journal, ‘’ BJP does not want to lose votes from the people migrated from UP, Bihar to Mumbai against whom MNS had run campaigns in the past. BJP will reach out to people from various regions in addition to Marathi Manoos. However, by aligning with the Shinde camp, which Shah has declared a real Shiv Sena, its tie-up with Raj Thackeray will ultimately join hands with BJP. The details with regard to the proposed arrangement will be finalised very soon. Of the 227 seats, BJP will leave about 75 seats to Shinde camp-MNS and it will contest the rest of the seats. Shah has given consent for the northeast MP Manoj Kotak, who is the former BMC corporator, to coordinate poll-related activities with the Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar.’’

He said that the Hindutva, Marathi Manoos, exposing corruption during Shiv Sena controlled civic body apart from Mumbai’s development will be major election planks.

Incidentally, the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde though has not revealed alliance with MNS but claimed that BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde camp) will contest the upcoming BMC elections together. ‘’The next mayor will be of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance,’’ claimed Shinde.

The Shinde camp spokesman Kiran Pawaskar hinted at the alliance between Shiv Sena (Shinde camp) and MNS on Hindutva issue saying that it will be a natural alliance as predicted by Shiv Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray. He explained that Raj Thackeray had not deviated from Hindutva and he had fought for the rights of the Marathi Manoos. ‘’One thing is common between Shinde-led Shiv Sena and MNS that are both parted ways from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction on the common cause of Hindutva. Therefore, if both form an alliance it will be a natural alliance,’’ he noted.

Shinde Fadnavis meet to discuss BMC poll strategy

After union home minister Amit Shah’s departure on later Monday evening, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting at Varsha and reportedly discussed the joint strategy for the upcoming BMC elections. A top BJP functionary told the Free Press Journal, ‘’ A strategy will be soon put in place whereby an outreach programme will be conducted by Shinde camp and BJP while telling the voters that after voted to power they will take Mumbai’s development to a new height. Besides, voters will be told that Uddhav Thackeray compromised one Hindutva to become the Chief Minister while the Shinde camp and BJP are committed to Hindutva.