Mahayuti to fight most local body polls together, may take smaller allies like the MNS on board

The politicians also discussed the internal survey reports based on various possibilities, including fighting the polls together or separately. A survey was conducted to tap the popular opinion on what would happen if the two Thackeray cousins Raj and Uddhav came together.

MUMBAI: The coordination committee of the three ruling parties comprising the Mahayuti alliance met on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the local body polls scheduled to be held after the monsoon. The parties, in their preliminary discussion, decided to contest the maximum local bodies together and also tap the possibility of joining hands with smaller parties, including the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Mumbai, Nov 23 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis address a press conference as the Mahayuti is set to form the government in the state, at Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai on Saturday. (ANI Photo) (Deepak Salvi)

The committee, comprising two leaders from each party, met at the official residence of tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai. Desai and industries minister Uday Samant represented the Shiv Sena while the NCP’s state unit chief Sunil Tatkare and medical education minister Hassan Mushrif represented the Ajit Pawar-led party. The BJP had its state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and working president Ravindra Chavan present at the meeting, which went for more than two hours.

According to the BJP leaders, the coordination committee discussed the possibility of fighting the polls together. “Our top leaders have directed us to face the polls together as the Mahayuti alliance, but some of the local bodies, especially in key cities, could be exceptions,” said a leader. “In those bodies, two of our three parties may join hands while the third party might go solo if it is beneficial for the alliance. The coordination committee reviewed in which bodies we could fight the polls together. In some municipal corporations like Navi Mumbai and Pune, the parties can tap the possibilities of going solo.”

The politicians also discussed the internal survey reports based on various possibilities, including fighting the polls together or separately. A survey was conducted to tap the popular opinion on what would happen if the two Thackeray cousins Raj and Uddhav came together. “The leaders are gauging the benefits of joining hands with Raj Thackeray,” said a Sena leader. “They are also estimating if allowing him to fight alone in urban bodies like Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Kalyan-Dombivali will help the ruling alliance. The Mahayuti leaders firmly believe that the two cousins are unlikely to come together and have chalked up strategies accordingly.”

The coordination committee also discussed two contentious issues: the proposed introduction of Hindi as a third language in schools, and farmers’ opposition to the Shaktipeeth Expressway. The Shiv Sena and NCP are reportedly wary of people’s reactions on these two issues and want further deliberation on them with the BJP.

After the discussion, the BJP’s state core committee comprising CM Devendra Fadnavis, Bawankule, Chavan, ministers Chandrakant Patil and Pankaja Munde, senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar and Sanjay Kute are scheduled to meet on Thursday. “The core committee will discuss the party’s stand on the alliance for the local body polls and the demands by our other two allies to take the preliminary discussion forward,” the BJP leader quoted above said.

Desai told reporters after the meeting that the Mahayuti had decided to fight the elections together and retain its strike rate in the assembly elections when it won 240 seats as an alliance. “There are minor difficulties in fighting together and dismay at the local level but that will be resolved by our leadership,” he said. “We also discussed the sharing of statutory boards and government committees between the three parties. We will meet again next week for further discussions.”

After the cabinet meeting, deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde held a 45-minute meeting at the latter’s office in Mantralaya. While the details of the meeting remain under wraps, it is believed that the leaders discussed the clearing of funds for Shiv Sena MLAs ahead of the local body polls.