Mumbai Mayor polls: BJP's Ashish Shelar pulls out of race amid fallout with Shiv Sena

In a surprising twist to the Mumbai Mayor polls, BJP on Monday, has officially pulled out of the race amid the Mahayuti fallout. BJP's mayor candidate Ashish Shelar announced on Twitter that BJP was in a minority and does not have the numbers. Terming it 35-year ally as the Opposition, he tweeted that the BJP doesn't want to have an alliance with any opposition party. He added that BJP will only contest in the BMC elections in 2022, when they will have the numbers.

BJP pulls out of the Mayor race

READ | Mumbai Mayor polls: Congress demands Deputy Mayor post to support Shiv Sena in polls

NCP-Congress-Sena ally in BMC?

Meanwhile, sources have reported on Monday, that NCP ad Congress have extended their support to Shiv Sena. Sources further report that Congress has put the condition that the Deputy Mayor post must be given to the grand old party. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor polls will be held on November 22, where 227 Corporators will vote to decide Mumbai's next Mayor. Earlier on Saturday, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that Congress-NCP alliance will field candidates in the upcoming Mayoral elections in the state and there have been no talks with Shiv Sena on the same.

READ | CONFIRMED: Shiv Sena not in NCP-Congress plans for BMC Mayor polls

Current BMC numbers

Currently, Shiv Sena with 94 corporators holds the sway in the 227-member House, over the BJP which has 81 corporators (1 disqualified). 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 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.

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

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.

READ | Sanjay Raut takes 'power-hungry' jibe at former CM Fadnavis, amid Sena-NCP-Congress talks