Ruling partners to jointly contest BMC, local body polls in line with coalition dharma: Maha BJP chief

Nagpur, Dec 12 (IANS) Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan on Friday firmly rejected allegations that the party was coercing leaders from alliance partners or the Opposition to switch sides, asserting that the BJP has always adhered to "coalition dharma" within the ruling MahaYuti.

He stressed the accommodative nature of the alliance under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and confirmed that the three constituents -- BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP -- will contest the local body elections together as the MahaYuti alliance.

The polls, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, must be completed by January 31, 2026, as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Chavan’s remark comes amid high-level political activity over the civic polls and days after BJP and Shiv Sena leaders sparred publicly during elections to 264 local bodies, where the ruling partners had fielded candidates against each other in several areas.

Chavan unequivocally denied using pressure tactics, stating, "BJP has never coerced anybody from the ruling parties or the Opposition to join us." He countered that it was Shiv Sena that first poached BJP leaders in the Ambernath area, initiating the cycle of inductions.

The BJP President emphasised the party's commitment to grass-roots politics, noting that the top leadership views local body polls as equally significant as Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Chavan stated that the BJP's "strength and success lie in the development agenda and strong leadership of Modi-Fadnavis."

Chavan's statement comes two days after he met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday to brief him on the political developments in the state and organisational strategy for the civic elections.

Further, Chavan, on Thursday night, met with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to finalise the strategy and seat-sharing arrangements for the municipal corporation elections in key areas such as Mumbai and Thane.

For the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, winning the BMC is critical to counter Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who are expected to contest together on a strong Marathi Manoos plank.

Both the BJP and the Shiv Sena have repeatedly announced to hoist the saffron flag atop BMC and secure the mayoral post.

Further, the BJP and Shiv Sena in particular have indicated that they will expose Uddhav Thackeray’s fake Hindutva, especially after he decides to join hands with Congress to form the government after the assembly elections held in 2019.

The series of meetings and the public statement confirm the ruling alliance's unified approach to the crucial local body polls, despite underlying tensions over internal political poaching in some areas like Kalyan-Dombivli.