“It is not just our position. But even people with Eknath Shinde do not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai… These are Shiv Sainiks. They do not want a BJP mayor,” Raut said, adding that the numbers in the House were “almost equal” and that the margin of majority was slim.

“There is a difference of just four. No matter how big a majority looks on paper, it is always unstable,” he said, hinting at intense political activity behind the scenes.

Soon after the election results, Shinde shifted his party’s 29 corporators to a luxury hotel in Mumbai. Leaders from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said the move was a precautionary step to prevent attempts at poaching during negotiations over the mayor’s post.

Raut, however, questioned the move, alleging that it reflected insecurity within the alliance. “If the Mahayuti was confident that its mayor would be elected smoothly, there would be no need to keep 29 corporators confined in a hotel,” he said.

Claiming that keeping elected representatives under watch raised questions about law and order in the state, Raut said, “If corporators have to be hidden like this, what does it say about governance.” He added that communication channels remain open despite such measures.

The Shiv Sena UBT leader also said that party chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray have spoken over the phone amid the evolving situation and said that Uddhav also feels that mayor should be from Shiv Sena.

Without sharing details, Raut said Opposition parties were closely watching the developments and that several political options were being discussed. He added that the Sena (UBT) had not formally staked a claim to the mayor’s post but had not ruled out the possibility.

Raut also took aim at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently on an official visit to Davos, saying, “He goes to Davos often, but we do not see investments on the ground. Most of the investment seems to be in elections , from municipal bodies to Parliament.”

Responding to Raut’s remarks on Mumbai mayor post, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Narayan Rane said Raut was making vague references to behind-the-scenes discussions.

To Uddhav Thackeray’s remark on Saturday that “it’s my dream to install a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, and if God is willing, this dream will be realised”, Rane said, “Has Uddhav Thackeray started relying on god now? He has never folded his hands in front of God before. Will the mayor descend from the sky? Just look at the numbers. How will such a huge gap be bridged?”

The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the BMC with 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 29 seats, taking the Mahayuti past the halfway mark. The Shiv Sena (UBT), along with allies, including the MNS and Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, secured 72 seats.

Despite the numerical advantage, the mayor’s post has become a sensitive issue within the alliance. The undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC for over two decades, and the post carries strong symbolic value for both the Shinde and Thackeray factions.

For Shinde, the mayor’s post is crucial to reinforcing his claim as the leader of the “real” Shiv Sena. For the BJP, winning the post would mark a major breakthrough in Mumbai’s civic politics.
(with PTI)