Despite being allies in state and national governments, the BJP and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde are locked in fierce competition for control of municipal corporations in Thane district near Mumbai. The tension escalated after five BJP corporators from Ulhasnagar defected to the Shinde Sena, prompting retaliatory defections in the opposite direction. The conflict centers on local power dynamics, municipal ward control, and the newly reintroduced panel system for civic polls, where groups of four corporators contest together in each ward. Thane has long been Shinde's stronghold, but BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan and other BJP leaders are aggressively expanding their influence. The rivalry is particularly intense in Kalyan-Dombivli, where Shinde's son and MP Shrikant Shinde directly competes with Chavan for dominance. The situation became so tense that Shinde traveled to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after which both sides publicly instructed leaders to stop poaching each other's workers. However, ground-level distrust remains high. A Shiv Sena worker explained that municipal panels, projects, and ward maps are the real battlegrounds, not broader alliance considerations. Both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde have publicly maintained that their alliance remains intact, but local workers report continuous parallel mobilization and closed-door meetings to attract supporters from rival camps.
Defections Spark Escalating Tensions Between Allies
The immediate trigger for intensified conflict came when five BJP corporators from Ulhasnagar crossed over to the Shinde Sena, with Shinde personally welcoming them. Prominent leader Jamnu Puraswani, a key Sindhi face in the region, cited neglect of longtime workers, questionable decision-making by the Thane BJP unit, and stalled local projects as reasons for leaving. He claimed new faces from opposition parties were being favored over veterans. In response, several Sena leaders switched to the BJP, with state BJP chief Chavan attending their induction ceremonies in Kalyan and Ulhasnagar. Sena MLA Rajesh More warned the BJP against engineering defections, while BJP leader Narendra Pawar retorted that Sena should focus on retaining its own members. Days after switching, defectors Shubhangi Behnwal and her husband were allegedly attacked by Sena workers, with police investigating the incident.
Panel System Drives High-Stakes Competition
The reintroduced municipal panel system has become a primary driver of the scramble for strong candidates. Under this system, groups of four corporators contest together as a unit in each ward across 28 municipal corporations except Mumbai. A BJP functionary described the panel system as a survival kit, explaining that weakened panels mean political death in civic politics. Leaders from both sides are aggressively recruiting to strengthen their panels regardless of party loyalty. A Shinde Sena worker noted the pre-poll atmosphere has become chaotic, with everyone evaluating which side offers better prospects. Senior leaders acknowledged that while truces were attempted before last year's Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, many underlying issues remained unresolved. At the ward level, competition never truly stopped despite the alliance at state and national levels.
Personal Rivalries Deepen Ground-Level Conflict
In Kalyan-Dombivli, the rivalry between BJP state chief Chavan and Shrikant Shinde has become intensely personal, with both seeking complete control of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. While Shrikant represents Kalyan as an MP, Chavan hails from Dombivli, considered a BJP stronghold due to its Marathi and Brahmin population. In Thane city, BJP minister Ganesh Naik and MLA Sanjay Kelkar are aggressively expanding into traditional Shinde Sena territory. Last year's shooting incident involving Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad inside a police station by BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad has also fueled resentment. The absence of most Sena ministers from a recent Cabinet meeting drew national attention, with some openly citing anger over poaching. After Shinde's Delhi meeting, both sides instructed leaders to avoid poaching, but district workers report the distrust remains deeply entrenched.
Source: Link