Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has made a strong political move in Ulhasnagar, pushing aside its ally BJP in the race for the mayor’s post. This comes after a similar strategy was used successfully in Kalyan-Dombivli.
In Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, which has 78 seats, a party or group needs 40 members to form the ruling body. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 37 seats but fell short of a majority. Taking advantage of this gap, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena formed a 40-member alliance to claim power.
This group includes 36 Shiv Sena corporators, two members from Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, and two from a local alliance. Shiv Sena corporator Arun Aashan has been named the leader of this bloc. Talks were also held with the lone Congress corporator, who did not formally join but may support the Shiv Sena if needed.
Earlier, in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), Shinde’s Shiv Sena used a similar strategy. Even though it contested the civic elections alongside the BJP, it later received support from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). This support helped Shinde’s faction stake a claim to the mayor’s post.
KDMC has 122 seats, and a majority requires 62. Shinde’s Shiv Sena won 53 seats, while the BJP secured 50. Support from five MNS corporators and four corporators linked to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena helped Shinde cross the majority mark, pushing the BJP into the opposition.
These moves point to growing tension within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance. By gaining control of key civic bodies in the Thane–Kalyan region, Shinde is strengthening his political influence. However, BJP leaders insist that the Mahayuti alliance will ultimately hold the mayor’s posts in Ulhasnagar, Kalyan-Dombivli and Thane.
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