Thane : In a bold bid to strengthen its foothold, the BJP has begun active preparations in Thane—widely regarded as a bastion of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—for the upcoming local elections. Despite public assertions of alliance unity within the Mahayuti (grand coalition), BJP leaders are signaling a possible shift toward contesting certain wards independently.
The party has initiated a vetting process via internal forms submitted by prospective candidates, with the intent to scrutinize their past work in their wards, local popularity, and performance. Only those who clear the criteria will receive the “A-B” nomination forms.
Key BJP leaders, including MLAs Sanjay Kelkar and Niranjan Davkhare, along with district head Sandeep Lele and women’s front officials, convened at the party’s Vartak Nagar office to fine-tune election strategy. Meanwhile, the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena has also been pressing for a “self-contested” course, raising questions about whether the Mahayuti alliance will contest jointly in the Thane Municipal Corporation elections—or go separate ways.
With alliances in flux and party cadres mobilizing at the grassroots, all eyes in Maharashtra politics are now on Thane.
