Mahayuti split renders contest in Uran triangular

A total of seven candidates are in the fray for the council president’s post, which is reserved for women, while 74 candidates are in the fray for 21 councillor seats

URAN: A split in the ruling Mahayuti alliance has turned the battle for the Uran Municipal Council into a triangular contest of sorts. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leveraging the influence of its local MLA Mahesh Baldi and Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, has fielded Shobha Kaushik Shah for the council president’s post, while its ally Shiv Sena, miffed with the saffron party’s unilateral decision, has fielded Rupali Thakur. The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have, meanwhile, rallied behind the NCP (SP)’s Bhavna Ghanekar as the presidential candidate.

The opposition MVA coalition and the MNS have rallied behind the NCP (SP)’s Bhavna Ghanekar as the presidential candidate

A total of seven candidates are in the fray for the council president’s post, which is reserved for women, while 74 candidates are in the fray for 21 councillor seats, officials familiar with the poll nomination process told Hindustan Times. Nominations for president’s post and councillors’ seats were scrutinised on Tuesday.

Speaking at her nomination filing, Shah – wife of Uran city BJP president Kaushik Shah – emphasised a development-centric agenda.

“Uran needs a council that delivers on basic services without delay. Our priority is to complete pending civic works and ensure the town gets development that residents can actually see,” said Shah, who was nominated following a rally led by BJP minister Ashish Shelar.

Baldi, the local MLA, said he was confident about the party’s decision to go solo in Uran.

The BJP’s decision to contest independently in Uran has effectively turned its ally Shiv Sena into a rival. Alongside Rupali Thakur for the president’s post, the Sena has fielded six councillor nominees, leaving the remaining seats for its Mahayuti allies – the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Ramdas Athawale-led RPI (A).

Atul Bhagat, the Sena’s Raigad (Uran) chief, said the BJP had announced its candidates unilaterally, without any discussion with alliance partners.

“Despite our efforts and our cadres’ long-standing presence in Uran, we were refused seats,” he said.

Bhagat alleged that the BJP was misleading voters by using photographs of deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar on their campaign material, demanding their immediate removal.

Sudhakar Ghare, the NCP district president, said the party would, under the guidance of Pawar and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, focus on addressing local issues in public interest.

The split in the ruling alliance has introduced a layer of unpredictability in several wards where victory margins have historically been razor-thin.

The opposition has, however, consolidated under the MVA banner, bolstered by support from the MNS which is not contesting the election.

Bhavna Ghanekar, the presidential nominee of the MVA–MNS front, said people in Uran had suffered because civic issues had remained unresolved for years during BJP rule.

“Health, education, and employment are our major concerns. We promise stable, accountable governance,” she said at a joint campaign event.

Meanwhile, former Uran MLA and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Manohar Bhoir alleged that the BJP was resorting to intimidation.

“The BJP is trying to pressure some of our MVA candidates. We will fight this dirty politics together to ensure the victory of Bhavna Ghanekar and our panel,” Bhoir said.

The MVA camp has faced some early setbacks, though, as NCP (SP) Uran president and former councillor Tushar Thakur and several Shiv Sena (UBT) women office-bearers recently joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

For Uran, a hub of fishing settlements, industrial clusters, and port-linked residential pockets, this election marks a return to democratic governance after four years of administrative rule. With demands for a sub-district hospital, improved connectivity, and coastal livelihood protection dominating the public mood, voters will cast their ballots on December 2, with counting scheduled the following day.