Mumbai : Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Mumbai appears to have set the stage for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, expected in January 2026.
During his visit, Shah laid the foundation stone for the BJP’s new office in South Mumbai and held several key meetings with party leaders. His statement urging workers to ensure a “triple-engine sarkar” — at the state, centre, and civic levels — underscored the party’s intent to seize control of the BMC, India’s richest civic body.
While top BJP leaders indicated their preference to continue the Mahayuti alliance with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s NCP, internal tensions within the ruling coalition have come to the surface.
Sources suggest that Eknath Shinde feels increasingly sidelined by the BJP, and recent allegations by Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar against BJP minister Murlidhar Mohol in Pune have intensified friction between the partners. BJP leaders swiftly countered the accusations, turning the issue into a public spat between allies.
Insiders claim Shinde is pressing for a larger share of seats in the Thane Municipal Corporation polls in exchange for his cooperation in Mumbai. However, BJP leaders are reportedly keen to contest all seats in Pune and Thane, hinting at possible “friendly fights” rather than formal seat-sharing arrangements.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has already hinted at this possibility, saying the BJP might contest independently in Pune while maintaining cordial ties with alliance partners.
As the civic poll season approaches, the BJP’s challenge will be balancing power within the Mahayuti alliance while pushing for dominance in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune — where even a few hundred votes can determine victory or defeat.
The coming months will reveal whether the BJP’s “friendly fight” strategy strengthens the alliance or deepens existing cracks ahead of Maharashtra’s most crucial urban elections.
