Mumbai BJP President Ameet Satam told Loksatta that the Mahayuti has set a target of winning more than 150 seats in Mumbai in the upcoming municipal elections and that seat-sharing talks with partner parties will begin as soon as possible.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are very prestigious for the BJP and the BJP has decided to do whatever it takes to remove Uddhav Thackeray from power. BJP has appointed Ashish Shelar, Guardian Minister of Suburban District, as the in-charge for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
Shelar was previously the Mumbai BJP president three times. He had also held the responsibility of Mumbai and Konkan in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. At the same time, in the municipal elections held in 2017, the BJP, while contesting on its own, won only two fewer seats than the Shiv Sena, i.e. 82. It was a very close contest at that time.
As this time's election will also be a close one, the BJP has started preparations in earnest and planning meetings of senior leaders are underway.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the government has implemented several major infrastructure projects in Mumbai, including the Metro, Atal Setu, and the Bullet Train. It has also pushed forward several long-pending projects such as the redevelopment of BDD chawls, housing for slum dwellers, and the redevelopment of Dharavi. Satam said he is confident that, due to the decisions of the Narendra Modi–led central government and the performance of the state government, the Mahayuti will win more than 150 seats.
He further stated that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is unlikely to achieve significant success and that they will not allow any “Khan” to become the Mayor of Mumbai, nor will they let the politics of “turning Mumbai green” succeed.
Although the BJP has set a target of winning more than 150 seats for the Mahayuti, discussions on seat-sharing with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) have not yet begun. In most municipal corporations, district councils, and municipal councils across the state, the Mahayuti partners have not been able to finalize seat-sharing. Due to disputes among senior leaders and conflicts at the local level, all three parties may end up contesting independently in many places. However, in Mumbai, both the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) feel the need to fight together. Senior leaders have indicated that an alliance in Mumbai is likely.
The Mahayuti has set a target of winning more than 150 seats, and the BJP aims to reach the 100-seat mark. Senior leaders believe that the BJP will emerge as the largest party in Mumbai.
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