Thane: In a surprising political development at the municipal level, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress have come together to form a governing alliance in the Ambernath Municipal Council, effectively preventing the Shiv Sena from taking control despite its strong performance in the elections.

The Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Ambernath civic polls but failed to secure a clear majority in the council. Taking advantage of the fractured mandate, the BJP stitched together a post-poll alliance with the Congress and other smaller parties to cross the majority mark and form the ruling body.

The new coalition, formed under a development-focused banner, has claimed that its primary objective is to ensure stability, efficient administration, and accelerated civic development in Ambernath. Leaders from the alliance stated that local governance requires practical decision-making beyond traditional political rivalries.

As part of the power-sharing arrangement, the BJP secured the key leadership position in the municipal council, while coalition partners were accommodated in the governing structure. The move has reshaped the political equations in the region and drawn sharp reactions from the Shiv Sena, which accused its rivals of engaging in opportunistic politics.

Shiv Sena leaders expressed disappointment over the alliance, terming it a contradiction of ideological positions and a setback to the mandate of voters. They maintained that the party would play a strong role as the opposition and continue to raise civic issues.

Political observers note that such unexpected alliances are becoming increasingly common in urban local body elections, where numbers and local priorities often outweigh long-standing political alignments. The Ambernath development is being closely watched as it may influence future municipal strategies across Maharashtra.

The formation of this alliance highlights the evolving nature of grassroots politics and underscores how local power dynamics can diverge sharply from state-level and national political narratives.

Mumbai: State Election Commission, Maharashtra has announced a revised schedule for publication of polling station wise voter lists in connection with the Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025-26. The order states that the complete municipality wise voter list shall be published as soon as it is completed. Accordingly, Mumbai Municipal Corporation has received polling station wise voter lists of 226 out of 227 wards from the State Election Commission today, January 6, 2026. The said lists along with polling station wise voter photographs are available for sale at the concerned Central Election Offices from Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The Municipal Administration appeals to the citizens/political parties to purchase these voter lists from the concerned Central Election Offices.

Mumbai: During the municipal elections, the leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray group are constantly trying to spread chaos. Sometimes they are spreading wrong information and sometimes they are doing politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Former Shiv Sena minister and MLA Deepak Kesarkar expressed his strong displeasure and reacted strongly to this irresponsible statement of the UBT. In a press conference held in Mumbai, Deepak Kesarkar said that the UBT leaders are busy defaming Maharashtra. They do not have any development plan, hence they are constantly making misleading and unnecessary statements. Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC was also present at the press conference.

Deepak Kesarkar questioned the UBT leaders and said that if Uddhav Thackeray can be elected unopposed, why not other candidates? It is wrong to repeatedly question the election process. The Election Commission works with complete transparency and under this transparency, all the candidates were elected unopposed. UBT has no development agenda, while Mahayoti is moving forward with development issues, which is why people have faith in Mahayoti.

Reacting strongly to Sanjay Raut’s statements, Deepak Kesarkar said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belongs not only to Maharashtra but to the entire country. The kind of politics Sanjay Raut is playing in the name of a great personality shows that his health is still not good. He should re-evaluate himself so that he can stop making such absurd statements.

He added that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was given the highest honour during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shivaji Maharaj’s emblem was included in the Indian Navy’s emblem, a move that no government had done before.

Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC targeted UBT and said that in the last 25 years, Mumbai has been full of potholes. However, now Shiv Sena central leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has pledged to make Mumbai pothole-free. The work has started, and by 2027, all the roads of Mumbai will be pothole-free.

He added that a detailed blueprint for Mumbai was prepared in an important meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Under this blueprint, several important decisions related to roads and transportation have been taken, which will provide significant relief to the people of Mumbai.