Consensus reached with Sena on 207 of 227 BMC seats: Mumbai BJP chief

Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti has reached consensus on 207 of 227 seats for the Mumbai civic polls, with BJP contesting 128 and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena 79, BJP’s city chief Amit Satam said.

The BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will contest the polls in the metropolis, scheduled for January 15, jointly. The Mahayuti also comprises the Nationalist Congress Party of Ajit Pawar.

“Unanimity has been reached on 207 seats in the BMC, of which the BJP will contest 128 and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena 79. Talks are underway on the remaining 20 seats. Decisions on these seats will be taken after considering the candidates in the fray,” Satam told reporters on Saturday.

A joint meeting of the BJP and Shiv Sena was held to finalise election strategy, including campaign issues, election management, joint rallies of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers, and coordinated campaign programmes, he added.

The planning and coordination for the campaign have been completed, Satam said.

Downplaying the importance of the exact number of seats to be contested by each, he said, “It is not about who contests how many seats. What matters is who can deliver corruption-free civic administration to Mumbaikars. This alliance is for Hindutva and for giving Mumbai a corruption-free administration.”

Drawing a parallel with the November 2024 Assembly elections, Satam said BJP workers had contested on the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the Sena, while some of Shinde’s leaders fought on the ‘lotus’ symbol.

The Mahayuti is up against the alliance of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

The BMC has 227 seats with a total electorate of 1,03,44,315 voters, comprising 55,16,707 men, 48,26,509 women and 1,099 voters registered as ‘others’. Men constitute 53 per cent of the electorate, while women account for 47 per cent.