Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday stated that there are no obstacles in the alliance between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the upcoming BMC Elections 2026, reported the IANS.
He said discussions on seat sharing are progressing on a very positive note.
“An alliance will definitely happen, and there will be no difficulties,” CM Fadnavis emphasised while speaking to the media in Amravati.
CM Fadnavis outlined that BJP State President Ravindra Chavan is heading the talks, supported by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, senior leader Ashish Shelar, and key local leaders from each municipal corporation area. He added that as of the previous night, discussions were “on a very positive track.”
Joint coordination committee resolving technical details
Regarding the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, CM Fadnavis said a joint coordination committee including BJP`s Ravindra Chavan and Sena`s Uday Samant is resolving technical details. Any final issues will be personally addressed by him and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, according to the IANS.
Youth representation and strategy
CM Fadnavis announced that 40 per cent of BJP’s candidates in the BMC polls will be under the age of 35. The move is seen as a strategy to counter the “son of the soil” narrative promoted by the Thackeray cousins with a focus on development and youth, as per the IANS.
Avoiding internal friction
The alliance leaders have reportedly decided to exclude Ajit Pawar’s NCP from the Mumbai contest to avoid internal friction over the city’s political dynamics. BJP insiders say CM Fadnavis is positioning the BJP as the `senior partner` while ensuring Eknath Shinde retains enough seats to maintain Shiv Sena’s identity, the news agency reported.
Talks for Thane civic polls near completion: Mhaske
Meanwhile, talks between Maharashtra’s ruling allies, the Shiv Sena and the BJP, over a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Thane Municipal Corporation elections are almost complete, with discussions pending for only three seats, a Shiv Sena leader said on Saturday, reported the PTI.
Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske said the final details of the alliance would be announced soon by senior leaders of both parties.
“The matter concerning three seats has been referred to the leadership for a final decision. The details of the alliance will be declared shortly,” Mhaske said after a series of lengthy meetings between local leaders of the two parties, according to the PTI.
He added that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have given clear instructions to ensure that the alliance remains strong.
“There is clarity from the top leadership that the Shiv Sena–BJP alliance will continue, and discussions are moving in that direction,” he said.
The Thane Municipal Corporation has 131 seats, for which elections are scheduled to be held on January 15.
Alliance with NCP
Responding to a question on why the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, the third partner in the Mahayuti alliance, was not part of the local-level talks, Mhaske said the party’s city unit had opted out.
He said NCP Thane city president Najeeb Mulla had publicly stated that the party would not contest the civic polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena and BJP, and therefore it was excluded from the discussions.
(with IANS and PTI inputs)