Maharashtra Civic Polls: Alliances in disarray, battle lines blur across 29 Municipal Corporations

The parties have failed to reach a consensus over seat-sharing, which has resulted in a maze of alliances, sub-alliances, friendly contests, and three or four cornered fights, making these civic elections far more unpredictable than usual.

Mumbai:

As Maharashtra prepares for elections to 29 municipal corporations, the situation this time seems unusually complex and confusing. In several municipal corporations, parties that are formally part of the same alliance have failed to arrive at seat-sharing consensus and have instead fielded candidates against each other.

This has resulted in a maze of alliances, sub-alliances, friendly contests, and three or four cornered fights, making these civic elections far more unpredictable than usual.

Below is a corporation-wise snapshot of the political configurations shaping the battles:

Mumbai Municipal Corporation

Congress + Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena + MNS + NCP (Sharad Pawar)

BJP–Shinde Sena (Mahayuti)

Navi Mumbai

BJP (Independent)

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Uddhav Sena–MNS–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Congress alliance

NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

RPI (Independent)

Panvel

BJP–Shinde Sena–RPI (Athawale)–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance

Shetkari Kamgar Paksha–Congress–Uddhav Sena–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–MNS–SP alliance

AIMIM (Independent)

Pune

BJP–RPI alliance

NCP (Ajit Pawar) + NCP (Sharad Pawar)

Congress–Uddhav Sena–MNS alliance

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Pimpri-Chinchwad

BJP–RPI alliance

NCP (Ajit Pawar) + NCP (Sharad Pawar)

Uddhav Sena–MNS–RSP alliance

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Congress (Independent)

Vanchit (Independent)

Sangli–Miraj–Kupwad

BJP–Janasurajya–RPI (Athawale) alliance

Congress–NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance

Uddhav Sena–MNS–Rashtra Vikas Aghadi

Shinde Sena (Independent)

NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

Ichalkaranji

Mahayuti (BJP–Shinde Sena–NCP Ajit Pawar)

Congress–MNS–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Swabhimani–Communist (Shiv Shahu Aghadi)

Uddhav Sena (Independent)

Vanchit (Independent)

Kolhapur

Mahayuti (BJP–Shinde Sena–NCP Ajit Pawar)

Congress–Uddhav Sena alliance

NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Vanchit–AAP alliance

Janasurajya–RPI alliance

Solapur

BJP (Independent)

Shinde Sena–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance

Congress–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Uddhav Sena–CPI(M) grand alliance

AIMIM (Independent)

RPI (Independent)

Nagpur

BJP–Shinde Sena alliance

Congress, BSP, Uddhav Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar), NCP (Ajit Pawar), MNS — all contesting independently

Chandrapur

BJP–Shinde Sena alliance

Congress (Independent)

Uddhav Sena–Vanchit alliance

NCP (Sharad Pawar) (Independent)

NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

Akola

BJP–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance

Uddhav Sena–MNS–Prahar alliance

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Congress–NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance (with Uddhav Sena support)

Amravati

BJP (Independent)

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Uddhav Sena–MNS–NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance

NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

Congress (partly allied, partly Independent)

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi–United Forum

Jalgaon

Mahayuti (BJP–Shinde Sena–NCP Ajit Pawar)

Uddhav Sena–NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance

Congress–Vanchit alliance

Ahilyanagar

BJP–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance

Uddhav Sena–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Congress alliance

MNS (Independent)

Shinde Sena (Independent)

Dhule

BJP (Independent)

Shinde Sena–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance (friendly contests in some wards)

Congress–Uddhav Sena–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–MNS alliance

Vanchit, AIMIM, BSP (Independent)

Nashik

BJP (Independent)

Shinde Sena–NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance

Uddhav Sena–MNS–NCP (Sharad Pawar)–Congress alliance

CPI(M) (Independent)

Malegaon

BJP, Shinde Sena, NCP (Ajit Pawar), Congress (Independent)

Uddhav Sena–MNS alliance

AIMIM (Independent)

Samajwadi Party–Islamic local parties–Vanchit alliance

Jalna

NCP (Ajit Pawar)–MNS alliance

MVA partner parties (Congress, NCP Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Sena)

BJP, Shinde Sena, Vanchit (Independent)

Nanded–Waghala

BJP, Shinde Sena, NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

Uddhav Sena–MNS (friendly contest)

NCP (Sharad Pawar) (Independent)

Congress–Vanchit alliance

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

BJP, Shinde Sena, Uddhav Sena (Independent)

Congress–NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance

Vanchit (Independent)

Latur

BJP, Shinde Sena, NCP (Ajit Pawar) (Independent)

Congress–Vanchit alliance

NCP (Sharad Pawar) (Independent)

Uddhav Sena (Independent)