BMC Mayor polls: Who will head India's richest civic body, amid 'Sena-BJP' fallout?

Who will head India's richest civic body?

This question looms over the nation's financial capital as the Mumbai Mayor elections are scheduled on November 22, amid the fallout of the saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena. Mumbai's civic body - Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which is currently controlled by the Shiv Sena-BJP combination, is set to vote in the lottery on the reservation for the mayor’s post on next Wednesday. Shiv Sena with 94 corporators holds the sway in the 227-member House, over the BJP which has 81 corporators (1 disqualified).

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Mayor elections on Nov 22

The mayor post will most probably sway towards Shiv Sena, in case BJP corporators vote against their candidate, as it holds the highest number of seats in the civic body and has controlled the BMC  since 1985. Previously, in 2017, BJP had voted in favour of Shiv Sena corporator Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, whose term has ended in September, but was extended to November due to state Assembly polls. With the Sena quitting the NDA at the Centre, the bigger question looms - Who will control the BMC?

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Control of BMC

While the Sena is currently in talks to form a coalition government in the state with  Congress and NCP, it has no talks with the parties for an alliance regarding the cash-rich civic body. Currently, with a joint tally of 175, the BJP-Shiv Sena combo is well over the halfway mark of 114 corporators. Currently, NCP has 6 corporators and Congress has 30 corporators.  The BMC’s budget for the financial year 2019-20 is reportedly Rs 30,692 crore, which is more than many states in India.

If BJP withdraws its support of 82 corporators, the Shiv Sena will still comfortably hold onto its power if its allies with NCP-Congress at the civic level, taking its combined tally to 130. But in case, there are no talks of an alliance, the Shiv Sena will still be the single largest party in the House. Since Mumbai has been Shiv Sena's power epicenter and after ruling the BMC for 34 years, the saffron party is highly unlikely to lose it.

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Mahayuti fallout

While the BJP-Shiv Sena have not separated at the civic level inspite of falling out at the state-level, the saffron allies are eyeing to form the next government separately in Maharashtra -which is currently under President's rule. The Sena-NCP-Congress is still in talks to finalise the Common minimum programme to form an alliance and the BJP has vowed that it will form the next government. The Mahayuti alliance which swept Maharashtra on October 24, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56), fell out with the  Sena insisting an equal sharing of CM post for 2.5 years and portfolios, while BJP refused to these demands.

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