BJP ties up with Congress, AIMIM in Maharashtra; Fadnavis calls it unacceptable

The BJP alliance formed with rivals such as the Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in the municipal councils in Maharashtra has been thrown into limbo after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reportedly ordered the severance of ties with the two parties, while indicating possible action against leaders involved in the arrangement.

The directive came in the wake of alliances being formalised in two municipal councils—Ambernath in Thane district and Akot in Akola district—ahead of key local body elections scheduled for mid-January, developments that caused political discomfort within the BJP, given its longstanding opposition to both the Congress and AIMIM, according to The Indian Express.

Fadnavis made it clear that such tie-ups were unacceptable for the party, and party sources indicated that instructions had been issued to undo the alliances and examine whether any organisational norms had been violated.

In Ambernath, located about 60 kilometres from Mumbai, the BJP had joined hands with the Congress, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and an Independent councillor to form the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi, a move aimed at keeping the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena out of power in the council.

The grouping comprised 14 BJP members, 12 Congress members, four NCP members and one Independent, and a formal letter was submitted to the Thane district collector naming Abhijeet Gulabrao Karanjule-Patil as the group leader.

Although the BJP succeeded in clinching the municipal chairman’s post in Ambernath, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats, and the local political arithmetic was shaped by an intense tussle for influence between rival formations in Thane district, which is home turf for both Shinde and state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan.

Party insiders suggested that the registration of the front was largely driven by the BJP’s attempt to retain control over key leadership positions within the council.

In Akot, in the Vidarbha region, the BJP became part of an even broader alliance under the banner of the Akot Vikas Manch, where it aligned with AIMIM, which had emerged as the second-largest party after the BJP by winning five seats.

This front also brought together both factions of the Shiv Sena, both factions of the NCP and Bachchu Kadu’s Prahar Janshakti Party, and the registration was submitted to the Akola district collector earlier this week.

The alliance, which holds a commanding majority of 25 out of 33 elected members, is set to vote as a bloc in the upcoming elections for deputy president and co-opted members, while the Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi remain in the Opposition.

The Maharashtra Congress leadership, however, denied the existence of any formal alliance with the BJP, stating that both parties had contested against each other, even as party sources confirmed that reports had been sought and action would follow if the allegations were substantiated.