From Dombivli to Virar, BJP-Sena in bitter tussle for civic polls

The BJP and Shiv Sena clash over local body polls in Kalyan-Dombivli as leaders switch parties, escalating tensions in Thane and Palghar regions.

MUMBAI: The tug-of-war between allies BJP and Shiv Sena, both grasping at victory in the local body polls, saw a fresh confrontation in Kalyan-Dombivli on Sunday. Shiv Sena (UBT) Kalyan chief Dipesh Mhatre, who was being wooed by Eknath Shinde’s party, joined the BJP instead; in response, the Shiv Sena, within hours, inducted two former BJP corporators, Vikas Mhatre and Kavita Mhatre, into its ranks. Former corporator Nandu Dhule of the NCP also joined the Sena.

From Dombivli to Virar, BJP-Sena in bitter tussle for civic polls

Shinde’s bastion is Thane but his son, Shrikant, is an MP from Kalyan, and Shinde’s supporters have been dominating civic politics in Kalyan-Dombivli. When asked about the recent exchange between the two parties, Sena leader and MP Naresh Mhaske appeared nonchalant. “Dipesh Mhatre may have joined the BJP, as he was lagging behind in his area during the assembly elections (when he contested on a Sena UBT ticket against state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan),” he said. “He must be wanting to win.” On Kavita and Vikas Mhatre being inducted into the Sena, Mhaske remarked, “People switch parties because of elections.”

Along with the Mhatres, local Shiv Sena (UBT) chief of Dombivli Sainath Tare and other functionaries like Dilkhush Mali, Kailas Shelar, Vikram Mali, and several workers also joined the Shiv Sena.

The BJP and Sena are also engaged in a political tussle over the control over Palghar and other areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). With one eye on the Palghar zilla parishad and Vasai Virar municipal corporation polls, BJP leader and guardian minister of Palghar Ganesh Naik recently ordered the local administration to expedite three projects, which include bringing a government hospital project under the purview of the CM’s War Room, developing a seven-acre bird park and building cement-concrete roads in the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) jurisdiction.

The attempt made to underline the BJP’s commitment to developing the region is expected to further intensify the unease between the two parties in MMR.

The VVCMC for three decades was under the control of the Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi. After defeating both Hitendra and his son Kshitij in the 2024 assembly elections, the BJP began preparations to dethrone the Thakurs in VVCMC as well and take full political control of the region. Veteran leader Ganesh Naik was made guardian minister of the Palghar district, and for the last year BJP leaders have been campaigning on how the Thakur camp failed to bring development projects to the Vasai-Virar area, which only the BJP could do. On the other hand, Shinde has appointed transport minister Pratap Sarnaik to look after party affairs in Palghar district.

In the three-party political race, the BJP has focused on expediting pending projects and designing new ones. The state government is constructing government hospitals and rural hospitals in the district, and Naik held a meeting regarding this. “This hospital is important to give health services to tribal communities,” he said. “To expedite the government hospital project, I have prepared a proposal to include it in the CM’s War Room.” Once a project is included in the war room, it is monitored at a high level, which helps to complete it sooner.

Naik also held a meeting to review projects in VVCMC, which will go to the polls in the next two months. Amid the complaints of bad roads, he ordered VVCMC officials to coordinate with MMRDA, which is constructing 13 cement-concrete roads there, and expedite the process.

Along with infrastructure projects, a seven-acre plot and reservation regarding a picnic park were also discussed in the meeting. Officials said that in the VVCMC Development Plan, the land was kept in reserve for a picnic park but nothing had been done in this regard. After a discussion, it was decided to set up a bird park there instead. Naik ordered officials to ensure that different species of trees were planted so that birds were attracted to the area.

The face-off between the BJP and Sena in Thane, Palghar and surrounding areas has become a routine feature. After Naik started holding janata darbars, the BJP’s outreach programme in Thane, the Shiv Sena objected since Eknath Shinde is Thane’s guardian minister. When the BJP did not budge, Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik was asked to hold similar janata darbars in Palghar, of which Naik is the guardian minister. As a result of the strife between the two ruling parties in Thane and Palghar, local leaders have asked their leaders to go solo in the upcoming local body polls.