Nearly three decades ago, when the Shiv Sena was sworn back into power at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in what would be a long, historical reign, another political chapter was unfolding nearly 850 kilometres away in Nagpur. A young Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis was taking oath as the city’s youngest mayor.
Today, life has come full circle for Fadnavis and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as they take control of the BMC from the Shiv Sena after the 1997 win. While the party has emerged dominant across 25 out of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, the BMC remains the shiniest jewel in its crown.
"The BJP is a party that understands the complexities of the BMC, where it is rare for parties to win without alliance support. It recognises its weaknesses and works on it," political analyst Amitabh Tiwari told The Quint. "It knew that Mumbai's demography is such that it cannot gain majority without the Marathi manoos, who are largely with Thackeray. Its alliance with Shinde brought at least 30 percent of that vote, which may not seem like much but has ultimately enabled the BJP to come into power."