BJP ties up with Cong, AIMIM in local bodies; unacceptable, says CM

Mumbai, Jan 7 (PTI) The ruling BJP has joined hands with rivals Congress and AIMIM in two municipal councils in Maharashtra, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said such tie-ups were unacceptable and would be scrapped.

Following the civic polls last month, the BJP joined hands with the Congress, its arch-rival, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the banner of 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' to form the Ambernath Municipal Council leadership, sidelining ally Shiv Sena.

The BJP also struck a similar alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and other parties in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district.

Fadnavis, however, said such arrangements were not approved by the party leadership and violated discipline.

Such alliances would not be acceptable under any circumstances and action would be taken against the local leaders, he said.

"I am making it very clear that any alliance with the Congress or AIMIM will not be accepted. If any local leader has taken such a decision on their own, it is wrong in terms of discipline and action will be taken," Fadnavis told a news channel, adding that instructions had already been issued to scrap such alliances.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, however, said, "What happened in Akot and Ambernath shows frivolous behaviour of the BJP. The party can forge an alliance with anyone to grab power." BJP, NCP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena are partners in the ruling Mahayuti.

In Ambernath, the BJP forged a post-poll understanding with the Congress and NCP, securing a majority of 31 seats, even though the Shiv Sena is the single largest party with 27 members.

The three parties have come together, claiming the move is aimed at “saving the town” and ensuring stable administration. The Shiv Sena termed the alliance “unethical and opportunistic”.

Sena MLA Dr Balaji Kinikar called it a betrayal of "coalition dharma" and contrary to the BJP's national slogan of a "Congress-mukt Bharat".

BJP councillor Tejashree Karanjule Patil was elected the council president, defeating Sena’s Manisha Walekar, and took the oath on Wednesday.

In the December 20 polls to the 60-member council, Shiv Sena won 27 seats, falling just four short of a majority. The BJP secured 14 seats, Congress 12, NCP 4, while 2 independents were also elected.

With the support of one independent, the three-party coalition’s strength has risen to 32 councillors, crossing the majority mark of 30. The election for the vice-president is due shortly.

BJP councillor Abhijit Karanjule Patil, appointed the group leader, told the media that the alliance was formed to free Ambernath from “corruption and intimidation”.

On the other hand, Eknath Shinde's son and Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said, "It is inappropriate to join hands with political parties against whom we contest elections. If some people are doing it only to grab power, then seniors should look into it." "It is selfish to join hands with people against whom Eknath Shinde rebelled. Some people should understand that power is not everything," he told reporters.

In Akot, the BJP formed the 'Akot Vikas Manch' with the AIMIM, besides support from the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena, NCP, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Bachchu Kadu's Prahar Janshakti Party.

The BJP won 11 seats in the 35-member council, with 2 seats pending election, and the AIMIM secured 2 seats. With the support of other parties, the alliance's strength stands at 25.

BJP's Akola MP Anup Dhotre claimed four AIMIM council members left their party and joined hands with the saffron outfit.

AIMIM leader and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel said, "Our political stance is against the BJP. I have asked the party in-charge in Akot to brief me immediately." BJP's Maya Dhule was elected mayor, defeating AIMIM's Firozabi Sikandar Rana. BJP's Ravi Thakur was appointed group leader.

The alliance was registered with the Akola district administration on Wednesday, ahead of deputy mayor and committee elections on January 13.

The Congress, with six seats, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, with two, remained in the Opposition.

Dhotre told reporters, "The four AIMIM council members have left their party and joined hands with the BJP. We have not formed any alliance with AIMIM." Akola BJP MLA Randhir Savarkar claimed that out of the five AIMIM council members in Akot, four "rejected the party's hardline and communal stance" and chose to join the Akot Vikas Manch.

"The fifth member, from AIMIM and who won the election, remains out of reach. We did not ally with AIMIM, nor did we stray from BJP's core principles," he said.

Jaleel said their leader Asaduddin Owaisi has made it clear that his party will not have a truck with the BJP.

"He (Owaisi) is upset over the decisions made by council members in Akot. If the BJP is part of any coalition, then we will not be involved in that," the AIMIM state president said.

He also rejected claims that AIMIM council members have left the party.

"I had made it clear to the councillors that we won't be forming any alliance with the BJP. They told me they wanted to draw up a common minimum programme for our local areas with the BJP. However, I made it clear that development is secondary...ideologically, we can't join hands with the BJP." PTI ND COR NR GK