Mahayuti seat-sharing talks stall as Shinde pushes for bigger share in local body polls

by Webdesk
26 Dec 2025

Mumbai: Even after holding lengthy and intensive discussions over Wednesday and Thursday, the Mahayuti allies—the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde—failed to reach a final agreement on seat sharing for the upcoming local body elections. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the deadlock emerged primarily due to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s firm demand for a larger number of seats than what the BJP was prepared to offer. This disagreement has affected several major municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and a few other cities where the two parties are contesting together under the Mahayuti banner.

Despite the lack of a complete breakthrough, Shiv Sena general secretary Rahul Shewale attempted to project optimism by the end of the day. He stated that seat-sharing talks for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were nearly complete. “We are close to finalising the BMC seat-sharing arrangement. The Mahayuti will have a mayor. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will make the formal announcement on Friday,” Shewale said. He further added that agreements for other municipal corporations within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) would be declared within the next few days.

Battle for BMC Dominance

Sources indicate that Shinde has demanded nearly all the seats that the undivided Shiv Sena had won during the 2017 BMC elections. However, the BJP has shown willingness to concede only those seats where the winning corporators from 2017 are currently aligned with the Shinde faction.

The major point of contention revolves around approximately 40 to 45 seats that were earlier won by Shiv Sena corporators who have remained loyal to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). While Shinde is keen on claiming these seats, the BJP wants to contest them, confident of its electoral prospects. These wards are predominantly Marathi-speaking areas, which the BJP believes are crucial for strengthening its grassroots presence in Mumbai.

A senior Shiv Sena leader involved in the negotiations confirmed the situation, saying that consensus had been reached on only about half of the disputed seats. “We have resolved issues concerning nearly 20 to 22 of those seats. Discussions on the remaining wards are still ongoing,” the leader said.

In the 2017 BMC polls, the undivided Shiv Sena had secured 84 seats. Party records show that 39 former corporators who had earlier belonged to the Shiv Sena (UBT) later joined the Shinde faction. In total, around 61 corporators from the undivided Sena and other parties who shifted allegiance to Shinde were assured tickets. However, Shinde is now pressing for the remaining 45 seats, a demand that the BJP is firmly resisting.

Initially, the Shiv Sena had demanded 122 of the 227 BMC wards but later reduced its claim to 100 seats following preliminary negotiations. On the other hand, the BJP aims to contest around 150 seats, with a target of winning close to 100.

Kalyan-Dombivli and Vasai-Virar Standoff

A similar stalemate has surfaced in Kalyan-Dombivli, where both parties consider the civic body politically significant. The city holds strategic importance for BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, while Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde, represents the area as a Member of Parliament.

During the 2017 civic polls, when the BJP and Shiv Sena contested separately, Uddhav Thackeray had entrusted Shinde with the task of securing victory in Kalyan-Dombivli. Shinde successfully outperformed the BJP, showcasing his election management abilities. This time, however, the BJP is keen on installing its own mayor and is aggressively pushing its claim, with Chavan playing a central role.

Both parties are seeking a larger share of the 133-member civic house, with the BJP insisting on contesting 83 seats.

In Vasai-Virar, however, the two allies have reached an understanding. The BJP will contest 91 seats, while the Shiv Sena will settle for 24. Nevertheless, both parties remain cautious of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, led by influential local leader Hitendra Thakur.

Other Municipal Corporations

In Thane—considered Shinde’s stronghold—both the BJP and Shiv Sena are vying for a substantial number of seats. The situation remains unresolved in Navi Mumbai as well, despite an initial meeting between Shinde and BJP leader Ganesh Naik.

Meanwhile, seat-sharing talks for the Jalna Municipal Corporation have become contentious, with BJP leader Raosaheb Danve and Shiv Sena’s Arjun Khotkar locked in a dispute. On Thursday, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant said he had held discussions with BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule regarding seat distribution. Following these talks, both parties reportedly agreed on a balanced formula for municipal corporations in Akola, Chandrapur, and Nagpur.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Mahayuti seat-sharing talks stall as Shinde pushes for bigger share in local body polls

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