BJP in damage control after local units tie up with Congress, AIMIM

The Maharashtra Congress also expressed its disapproval over the alliance and suspended its 12 councillors in Ambernath who supported the BJP, while the AIMIM said any alliance with the saffron party was unacceptable

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday blamed “a breach of discipline” for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s alliances with archrival Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in civic bodies in Ambernath and Akola. He announced the end of the tie-ups and promised action against the local leaders.

Mumbai, India. Jan 03, 2026 - Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister, and RPI Chief Ramdas Athawale addressed the Mahayuti workers at a BMC election campaign rally held at the Dome in Worli, Mumbai, India. Jan 03, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Fadnavis said the BJP can never ally with the Congress or the AIMIM. “Such alliances are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. If any local BJP leaders have entered into alliances with these parties without approval, it is a serious breach of party discipline, and strict action will be taken.”

The Maharashtra Congress also expressed its disapproval over the alliance and suspended its 12 councillors in Ambernath who supported the BJP, while the AIMIM said any alliance with the saffron party was unacceptable. The suspended Congress councillors, in turn, announced that they would be joining the BJP.

Both alliances were formed after the first phase of the civic polls resulted in fractured mandates in the municipal councils of Ambernath in Thane district and Akot in Akola district.

In Ambernath, the BJP forged an alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to keep its natural ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, out of power. In the 60-seat council, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats, followed by the BJP (14), Congress (12) and NCP (4). With the majority mark at 31, BJP leaders floated the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi with the Congress and the NCP to form the council.

In the 35-member Akot municipal council, the BJP won 11 seats, Congress six, AIMIM five, Prahar Janshakti Party three, and the rest split among the Shiv Sena (UBT), Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, NCP, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena. The BJP’s local leadership then engineered a local front, the Akot Vikas Manch, by bringing together AIMIM, both factions of the NCP and Shiv Sena, and the Bachchu Kadu-led Prahar Janshakti Party to keep the Congress out of power.

These decisions elicited strong reactions within the BJP, as it faced criticism for forming alliances with parties it had been campaigning against in the elections. The Shiv Sena (UBT) trained its guns on both the BJP and the Congress, with MP Sanjay Raut saying the BJP was resorting to “unholy alliances” as it was desperate to win power in civic bodies.

Fadnavis said both fronts were formed by local leaders without authorisation and had been asked to disband them. “The BJP can never form an alliance with the Congress or the AIMIM. Such alliances are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. If any local BJP leaders have forged alliances with these parties without approval, it is a serious breach of party discipline, and strict action will be taken,” he said on Wednesday.

The BJP’s ruling partner, the Shiv Sena, also reacted strongly. Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde said, “In both bodies, we could have easily formed the council jointly, but BJP leaders acted otherwise. The Sena is used to being in the opposition, but the public mandate should be respected. If such alliances are being formed, it is time for the state leadership of the BJP to take action. This has sent the wrong message. Power is not everything.”

BJP leaders in Akot denied having aligned with AIMIM. Akola East MLA and BJP chief whip Ranjeet Savarkar said the AIMIM councillors had quit their party before joining the Akot Vikas Manch. “We have not joined hands with the AIMIM and can never do it,” he said. Akola MP Anup Dhotre echoed the claim, insisting the BJP was not in an alliance with AIMIM.

The Congress, meanwhile, suspended all 12 Ambernath councillors and the block president, Pradip Patil. Maharashtra Congress senior vice-president Ganesh Patil said the councillors had acted without informing the state leadership, violating party discipline. “This is absolutely wrong and violates the discipline of the party,” he said.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also denied any alignment with the BJP. “We have not supported any party. Even if the local unit wants to have any alliance, they have been asked to take our permission,” he said.

Soon after their suspension, the 12 councillors announced they would join the BJP. “Sapkal had demanded money from us. Now, he has suspended our councillors. All of us would be joining the BJP soon,” said the suspended Ambernath block chief Pradip Patil.

The AIMIM leadership also sought an immediate report on the developments from its in-charge in Akola, and asked its local unit to snap ties with the BJP. Former MP Imtiyaz Jalil said party chief Asaduddin Owaisi had made it clear that AIMIM would not be part of any front that included the BJP. “Such an alliance is not acceptable to us,” he said.

The BJP also initiated action against its Akot MLA, Prakash Bharsakhale, for forging the alliance without consulting the party leadership. The party issued him a show-cause notice, seeking his explanation on the developments.

“By forming an alliance with the AIMIM in the Akot municipal council, you have undermined the basic principles of the party. Moreover, by doing so without taking anyone into confidence, your action has damaged the party’s image. You are instructed to submit your say on this immediately,” said a letter sent to Bharsakhale by Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi took a dig at both the BJP and Congress: “So, the next time any supporter of either political party tries to take a moral high ground here about decisions, please do yourself a favour and keep quiet…Maharashtra politics is not for beginners; it is level pro max,” she said.