Subhechcha Ganguly 
According to sources, the ruling alliance has set its eyes on seizing control of BMC and the municipalities of Aurangabad and Kalyan-Dombivli.The BJP and rebel Shiv Sena group’s plans to challenge the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in its strongholds of Mumbai and Aurangabad in the upcoming civic elections are indicated by the expansion of the ministerial council by the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday, which included both inclusions and an exclusion.The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election and civic bodies in Sena strongholds like Aurangabad, Thane, and Kalyan-Dombivli are now the focus of the party, according to a senior BJP official. The ruling coalition nominated leaders to the larger council of ministers with this in mind.
Although the exclusion of former minister and Bandra (West) MLA Ashish Shelar stunned many political watchers, party sources claimed it was intentional in order to use his services in the next BMC elections. Shelar presided over the Mumbai chapter of the BJP in 2017. The party performed admirably under his leadership, gaining 82 of the 227 wards in the BMC, only two wards behind the Shiv Sena, its ally at the time.Since it initially won it in 1985, the Shiv Sena has been in charge of the civic body. Back then, the BJP retained stronger control over the state government while letting its partner, the Sena, continue to hold over the BMC. This was done to appease the Sena. Shelar established himself as a fervent anti-Thackeray leader and worked to corner the Sena over alleged financial irregularities in the BMC and its poor performance after the Sena severed its ties with the BJP and joined with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
By Subhechcha Ganguly
