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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Chaitanya Marpakwar | TNN

BMC election will be make or break for Uddhav camp

MUMBAI: With the Maha Vikas Aghadi government falling and Eknath Shinde taking over in alliance with the BJP, former CM Uddhav Thackeray faces an uphill task for the BMC polls. Unless Thackeray decides to mend fences with Shinde and the rebels, it will be a much-diminished party under his leadership that will clash with BJP to retain its biggest bastion - Mumbai - which it has held for three decades. Civic polls in the city are slated for September/October 2022.

Shinde's role will be crucial in the BMC polls, especially if his faction decides to tie up with BJP. "While it will be hard for Thackeray to accept the rebels back, it may be one of the options if the Uddhav camp wants to retain BMC," an observer said. The general perception is that unless Thackeray accepts Shinde back into the fold, he will find it hard to withstand a rejuvenated BJP. In the 2017 polls, Sena won 84 seats, while BJP had 82. Later, six from MNS and some independents joined Sena. Total number of electoral wards in BMC is now up from 227 to 236 following redrawing of ward boundaries.

The other option for the former CM, observers said, is to form an alliance with Congress and NCP to take on the combined might of BJP and the Shinde camp. After losing 2/3rds of MLAs, including all elected cabinet ministers to Shinde's camp, the contest will be seen as a make-or-break for Thackeray's Sena.

"Although Shinde is a Thane-based leader with little Mumbai presence, since Uddhav has lost power the momentum will be with BJP. Shinde's faction won't have much say in BMC so it will be a clear Uddhav vs BJP fight. Many Sena corporators will rebel and fight on tickets from the Shinde camp, some may even join BJP," an observer said.

A Sena leader said the party will bank on its shakha network to fight under Aaditya Thackeray's leadership. "The Sena's real assets are its grassroots networks built around the shakhas and shakha pramukhs. MLAs come and go but shakhas remain," the functionary said.

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