Mahayuti allies will chalk out joint strategy for Mumbai civic body elections: Bawankule

Nagpur, Dec 10 (PTI) Mahayuti allies will prepare a joint strategy to contest the upcoming Mumbai civic body elections, and the seat-sharing formula will be based on technical considerations, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Wednesday.

He said the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had sought 90 to 100 seats.

The elections to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are expected to be held in January.

Bawankule also reiterated that Mahayuti will contest the Zilla Parishad and municipal corporation elections jointly with a target of securing 51 per cent of the vote share.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, headed by Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, respectively.

Bawankule attended a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shinde, and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan.

On the Mumbai civic polls, Bawankule said the Mahayuti was preparing a joint strategy.

"Shiv Sena had sought 90 to 100 seats; the final formula would be based on technical considerations. A committee comprising four representatives, each from the BJP and Shiv Sena, along with alliance members, will discuss seat-sharing.

"Wherever disagreements arise, senior leaders will resolve them," the Revenue Minister told reporters, adding that a decision on the Mumbai mayoral post would be taken jointly by Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

He said district-level leaders have been instructed to ensure coordination among allies at the local level for civic and ZP polls.

"There may be issues in 5 to 10 per cent of seats locally. In such cases, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde will sit together and take the final decision," added Bawankule, the BJP's election in-charge for local bodies.

He stated that Ajit Pawar is an integral part of the Mahayuti and his party would contest the upcoming elections with the alliance.

"Differences among allies during previous local body elections were limited to electoral disagreements among workers. There were no differences of heart, only differences over certain seats," he said.

Commenting on the issue of a separate Vidarbha state and regional development, Bawankule criticised the Congress, saying that Vidarbha had progressed rapidly since the formation of the Fadnavis government in 2014.

He said the BJP believed that smaller states could achieve faster development and that the party was committed to ensuring justice for Vidarbha.

Responding to a query, Bawankule said the forest department headquarters would not be shifted from Mumbai as the region already had the highest forest cover. PTI ND NSK