The upcoming civic polls in Thane district, near Mumbai, have sparked intense rivalry between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena, despite their alliance at the state and national levels. Local workers emphasize that municipal panels, projects, and ward maps matter more than higher-level partnerships. Thane has long been the stronghold of Eknath Shinde, currently Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief, whose son Shrikant Shinde is an MP from the region. Tensions escalated after allegations of poaching and counter-poaching of corporators between the two parties. Five BJP corporators from Ulhasnagar recently joined Shinde's faction, prompting retaliatory defections the other way. The friction grew so serious that Shinde traveled to Delhi, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised to speak with BJP Maharashtra chief Ravindra Chavan. Publicly, both sides insist the alliance remains strong, yet grassroots competition continues unabated. The reintroduction of the municipal panel system, where four-member panels contest together in each ward, has intensified the scramble for strong candidates. Workers from both camps admit that local ambitions, personal rivalries, and the desire for dominance in municipal corporations overshadow broader political unity. District leaders acknowledge that while top leadership seeks harmony, ward-level contests never truly stopped.
Corporator Defections Trigger Renewed Tensions
The immediate flashpoint came when five BJP corporators from Ulhasnagar—Jamnu Puraswani, Prakash Makhija, Mahesh Sukhramani, Kishore Vanwari, and Meena Sonde—switched to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Puraswani, a prominent regional Sindhi leader with over three decades in the BJP, cited neglect of long-time workers, local unit decision-making issues, and stalled projects as reasons. He clarified that the problem lay with local BJP leadership, not the state level. In response, BJP state chief Chavan personally welcomed former Sena corporators Sunita Patil, Sayali Vichare, Mahesh Patil, Shubhangi Behnwal, and her husband Manohar into the BJP fold in Kalyan and Ulhasnagar. Shortly after switching, Behnwal and her husband were allegedly attacked by Sena workers. The tit-for-tat defections reflect deep-rooted competition that predates the recent alliance.
Municipal Panel System Fuels Party-Switching
Leaders from both parties point to the municipal panel system as a major driver of defections. Reintroduced for these elections, the system requires groups of four corporators to contest together as a single unit in each ward. Except Mumbai, all 28 municipal corporations will use this format with party symbols. A BJP functionary explained that securing stronger candidates for panels, regardless of original party, has become critical. One BJP worker described panels as a survival kit, stating that weak panels can end civic political careers. A Shinde Sena worker noted the pre-poll atmosphere has turned chaotic, with everyone assessing which side offers better chances. Senior leaders admit many issues remained unresolved even after temporary truces during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls last year. At ward level, competition never ceased.
Personal Rivalries and Local Ambitions Dominate
In Kalyan-Dombivli, the contest is a direct rivalry between BJP state chief Chavan and MP Shrikant Shinde. Shrikant represents Kalyan, while Chavan hails from Dombivli, considered a BJP stronghold due to its Marathi and Brahmin population. Both leaders have strong networks and seek complete dominance over the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. In Thane and Navi Mumbai city, BJP minister Ganesh Naik and Thane BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar are attempting to expand influence in areas traditionally controlled by Shinde's Sena. Sena workers say these moves have unsettled local power equations. An earlier incident involving Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad being shot inside a police station by BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad in 2024 also remains a source of resentment. District workers report that despite directives from leadership to avoid poaching after Shinde's Delhi meeting, distrust remains deeply entrenched on the ground.
Source: Link