The two political parties have put a bitter fight for the reins of the country’s richest civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), behind them to present a picture of cooperation. Even though the BJP won just two seats less than the Sena’s 84 it was understood that the two would have to bury the hatchet. The BJP has always been a junior partner of the Sena in the BMC, but today it is an equal, even though the Sena has tried to project the election as a victory of its own. For Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis this is not a climb down but a way of sending a positive message to the people of Mumbai that he is more concerned with the welfare of the city. Like most States in the country, in Maharashtra as well, the mayor is a ceremonial position with real power in the hands of the commissioner who is appointed by the government. This means Fadnavis, with 82 BJP corporators will have a greater say in what happens in Mumbai than the Sena. This does not augur well for civic bodies which needs to be made autonomous so that elected representatives of the people take control of their city.
Mumbai get-together
The election of Shiv Sena nominee Vishwanath Mahadeshwar as mayor of Mumbai is significant because his election had the support of the BJP.
