Will NCP Contest BMC Elections as MahaYuti Partner with Claims to Over 50 Seats?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- NCP claims over 50 seats in BMC elections.
- Prepared to contest all 227 seats independently.
- Significant exclusion from BJP and Shiv Sena meetings.
- Nawab Malik leads the NCP's election strategy.
- BJP and Shiv Sena aim for 150+ seat wins.
Mumbai, Dec 16 (NationPress) The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, announced on Tuesday its intention to participate in the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections as a member of the MahaYuti alliance, staking claims to more than 50 seats.
Moreover, the NCP indicated its readiness to contest all 227 seats independently, having already received applications from 180 aspirants.
This strategic move by the NCP is significant, particularly after it was excluded from a meeting between the BJP and Shiv Sena focused on election strategies and seat allocations, aiming for a collective win of over 150 seats in the BMC elections.
Today, Nawab Malik, the NCP’s coordinator for the BMC elections and a former minister, led a meeting with party officials to assess election preparations.
Although Malik refrained from addressing the media, the party released a statement expressing its desire to be part of the MahaYuti alliance, claiming over 50 seats.
Malik is set to convene further meetings to evaluate preparations on a district basis. Following these discussions, he will report back to party president Ajit Pawar concerning the possibility of an alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena or potentially running solo.
“Since assuming the role of chairman of the Election Management Committee, Nawab Malik has prioritized the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, establishing a robust framework by conducting review meetings every Tuesday,” the release stated.
Earlier on the same day, the BJP and Shiv Sena had a meeting to strategize over their alliance and seat sharing for the BMC elections.
Maharashtra's Minister of Cultural Affairs and BJP's in-charge for BMC elections, Ashish Shelar, announced post-meeting that they have reached a seat-sharing agreement aimed at securing over 150 seats out of the total 227 seats.
“We deliberated on winning more than 150 corporators in the BMC elections while also considering the Ramdas Athavale-led Republican Party of India. We will reconvene in two days to finalize how many seats each party, BJP and Shiv Sena, will contest,” he stated.
Shelar suggested that an alliance with the NCP appears unlikely, especially with Nawab Malik coordinating their BMC elections.
NCP leader Shivajirao Nalawade met with Shelar, asserting that the NCP is keen on joining the MahaYuti alliance.