Maharashtra matinee runs full house as Shinde-led Shiv Sena & MNS join hands

In yet another twist in Maharashtra's ever changing political landscape, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has joined hands with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation in its bid to isolate BJP. The development illustrates how deep the fissures between Shiv Sena and BJP are. Sena, which fought the Kalyan Dombivli polls in alliance with BJP, is now trying to get parties like MNS to back it to come to power.

Shiv Sena had got 53 corporators and BJP 50 in the 122-seat house. Shiv Sena has now got five corporators from MNS to support it and is trying to lure 11 corporators from the rival UBT Sena to join its ranks.

Shiv Sena and BJP together have enough numbers to control the civic house. But, Sena's move to get MNS to support it is being seen as a move to isolate BJP and ensure that BJP does not have much say in the Kalyan Dombivli Civic Corporation.


The Kalyan Dombivli civic body is important for Shiv Sena as Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde is a Lok Sabha MP from the region and is not keen on BJP expanding its presence at the Sena's expense.

However, Shiv Sena claimed that its alliance does not mean that BJP is being sidelined. "MNS has extended support to our alliance, not just to us. They have come together for stability and development. We have not sidelined BJP, we will be together in this alliance," said Shrikant Shinde.

However, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar let the cat out of the bag when he elaborated as to why MNS was roped in when Sena and BJP had enough numbers. "Things might have soured between the two like in other places. They (Sena) would want to control the corporation on their own. These things happen when things go bad between alliances."

For BJP, Sena's move is reminiscent of what Uddhav Thackeray did in 2019 when the undivided Sena decided to break ties with BJP and join a government with the help of NCP and Congress.