BJP enters into alliance of convenience with Sena, NCP

 

 

By Vikas Vaidya :

 

 

Apart from Mumbai and Thane, the Bharatiya Janata Party could finalise alliance with Shiv Sena (Shinde) in Chandrapur and Nagpur. The BJP has an alliance of convenience in Vidarbha’s four municipal corporations--Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur and Nagpur. The Maha Vikas Aaghadi (MVA) leaders failed to come to a seat sharing formula acceptable to all. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had marathon meetings with all the incharge of the municipal corporations separately at the Dhantoli office of BJP. Its Vidarbha Organisational Secretary Dr Upendra Kothekar accompanied him.

 

The issues regarding alliance too were discussed and it was found that except Akola, the front is unlikely to contest polls with NCP (Ajit Pawar). In Akola, BJP joined hands with Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) considering its hold there. There are 80 seats of which it has given 14 to NCP (AP), while contesting on 66 seats. The Alimchandani group is a very influential name in Akola. During 2024 Assembly polls, the Alimchandani group made all the difference and BJP’s Vijay Agrawal lost. Learning a lesson from the past, in municipal polls, BJP has given 11 seats to Alimchandani group within the party. In Akola, BJP did not try for alliance with Shiv Sena. MVA is contesting on its own in Akola without sharing seats.

 

In Amravati, the dispute among the constituents of Mahayuti and MVA is known to the masses. There is a straight division with BJP and Mahayuti too. In Lok Sabha polls, the conflict came to fore when NCP (AP) MLC Sanjay Khodke openly refused to support the candidature of BJP’s Navneet Rana. It should be noted that both were the part of Mahayuti and a few days prior to her filing of nomination, Rana had joined BJP. Since Rana was leading the BJP’s talks for municipal polls, it was clear that in Amravati, BJP would not have alliance either with Sena or NCP. BJP joined hands with Yuva Swabhimani Paksh (YSP). It gave eight tickets to YSP, but according to sources, of the eight seats, at two, the BJP would field its candidates. Jagdish Gupta group is likely to play a major role. It has taken different stand. In Chandrapur, neither Mahayuti nor MVA came clear on the alliance till late evening. Finally, in Mahayuti, BJP, Shinde Sena and Republican Party of India somehow have a consensus. Here, BJP has given six seats to Shinde Sena. Four seats of the six given to Sena, will have candidates of BJP contesting on the symbol of Bow and Arrow.

 

Nagpur witnessed too much confusion, dispute, chaos, incident of ransacking of party office. Within BJP, very few were ready to have alliance with Sena, so long talks were held till the last day of filing of nominations. Finally, BJP gave 8 seats to Sena of the 151 but it did not join hands with NCP, nor conducted any talk. Contrary to what happened in Mahayuti, in MVA, the constituents showed readiness for the alliance but could not come to consensus. By late night of December 29, the talks between NCP and Congress failed. On the last day of filing nomination, the Shiv Sena too decided to go solo. In all, MVA constituents went solo, while Mahayuti could have alliance of convenience.