Mumbai: There is a possibility of the political atmosphere heating up again over the pending elections of the state’s Mahapalikas. There is a possibility of these elections being postponed due to the 57 petitions filed in the Supreme Court not being heard on Wednesday.

At present, administrative rule is in force on 23 Mahapalikas of the state including important cities like Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad. The main reason for this is the division composition, the number of members decided on the basis of 10% increase in population and the dispute arising over OBC reservation. Due to the lack of a court decision, the path to elections is not being cleared.

Division composition and political allegations and counter-allegations

During the Mahavikas Aghadi government, a three-member division composition was implemented, but after the formation of the Mahayuti government, a four-member division composition was implemented. Now the process will have to be done again for this new composition, which may take at least 90 days. This has increased political allegations and counter-allegations about the possibility of delay in elections.

With the inclusion of 32 new villages in Pune Mahapalika, it has become necessary to create new divisions here. The decision related to division formation will depend on the court process and administrative time table.

OBC reservation issue

OBC reservation has become an important and controversial issue in this process. The Mahavikas Aghadi government had taken an aggressive stance on this, while the Mahayuti government has given it a new direction. Due to this, there is a lot of debate among the political parties on the issue of who should be blamed for the delay in the elections.

When will the elections be held?

The Supreme Court is likely to hear the case on January 28. However, if the decision does not come by the end of January, then due to division formation and other electoral processes, the elections may be held directly in September-October instead of April-May.

In the present situation, the ruling party and the opposition are busy making their strategies regarding which party will benefit from the postponement of the municipal elections. The possibility of change in the political equations of the state due to delay in elections cannot be ruled out.

Mumbai: After the new cabinet expansion of Maharashtra, a controversy of displeasure has arisen between the ministers of BJP-Shiv Sena faction and Nationalist Congress (Ajit Pawar faction) in the ruling Mahayuti over the distribution of the guardian minister’s post. Nationalist Congress ministers have been given districts hundreds of kilometers away from their home district, while BJP and Shiv Sena ministers have been given districts near them.

Nationalist ministers given responsibility of ‘distant’ districts

Ministers of Ajit Pawar faction have been given the responsibility of the guardian minister’s post of districts 400-650 kilometers away from their home district. Hasan Mushrif of Kolhapur has been given Washim, Babasaheb Patil of Latur has been given Gondia, Makarand Patil of Satara has been given Buldhana, and Narhari Jhirwal of Nashik has been given far-flung responsibilities like Hingoli.

There is an atmosphere of displeasure among the ministers of Nationalist Congress due to this distribution. Party’s state president Sunil Tatkare has been accused by other party ministers of giving preference to his daughter Aditi Tatkare. Aditi Tatkare was given the post of guardian minister of Raigad district, but this also proved controversial and was put on hold.

Home districts gifted to BJP-Shiv Sena ministers

At the same time, BJP and Shiv Sena ministers have been given guardian minister posts in their home districts or nearby districts. Shiv Sena Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been given Thane, Gulabrao Patil has been given Jalgaon, Sanjay Rathod has been given Yavatmal, and Uday Samant has been given nearby districts like Ratnagiri. BJP ministers have also been given their home districts like Nagpur to Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Dhule to Jaykumar Rawal, and Sindhudurg to Nitesh Rane.

Criticism and displeasure with Nationalist ministers

The opposition has alleged that BJP-Shiv Sena has given preference to their party ministers and given second place to Nationalist ministers. It is being said that the Nationalist ministers have been sent away from their administrative areas, whereas the guardian ministers living in the home district can work more effectively, as claimed by Manikrao Kokate.

Possibility of postponement and new controversy

After the controversy over the post of guardian minister of Raigad and Nashik districts, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has put a stay on it. This can further increase the dispute of resentment between Shiv Sena and Nationalist.

Political impact in the future

The tension within the Mahayuti and the resentment within the Nationalist Congress has become clear regarding the distribution of the guardian minister post. The effect of these events can be seen in the upcoming local elections. Political analysts believe that the internal differences of the Mahayuti can prove to be a political weapon for the opposition.

Mumbai: Once again a news has come out which has created a stir in the politics of Maharashtra. Shiv Sena Shinde faction leader and state Industry Minister Uday Samant has made a big claim about the leaders of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and Congress. Uday Samant is currently on a tour to Davos and he has given information about these political activities from there.

Are the leaders of Uddhav Thackeray faction and Congress in touch with Shinde?

According to Uday Samant, four MLAs and three MPs of Uddhav Thackeray faction have met Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the last 15 days. Apart from this, five Congress MLAs are also in touch with Shinde. Samant has claimed that in the next three months, ten former MLAs of Uddhav Thackeray faction, some district heads, and former MLAs and MPs of Congress will join the Shinde faction.

More split in Shiv Sena?

This news can be a big setback for the Uddhav Thackeray faction. Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) had already suffered a big loss due to the rebellion of Eknath Shinde. If more MLAs, MPs and office bearers join the Shinde faction, Uddhav Thackeray’s political position may weaken.

Benefit of resentment in Congress?

The claim that five Congress MLAs are also in contact with Shinde has brought to the fore the factionalism and resentment within the Congress. Now the reaction of senior Congress leaders is awaited on this.

Big announcement from Davos tour

Uday Samant said that Maharashtra has announced an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore on the first day of the Davos tour. He called it a big economic opportunity for Maharashtra, but his political comment is likely to raise questions on the success of this tour.

Political far-reaching consequences

This comment of Uday Samant has created a stir in Maharashtra politics. Now it will be important to see how the Uddhav Thackeray faction and the Congress react to this. In the context of the upcoming local self-government institutions elections, these events can lead to a big change in the political equations.