The Bharatiya Janata Party’s local units forming alliances with ideologically opposite parties in two Maharashtra towns has triggered political ripples and drawn sharp disapproval from the party’s top leadership.

In Thane district’s Ambernath, the BJP joined hands with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party in a post-poll development to keep the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena out of power in the municipal council. Meanwhile, in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district, the local BJP unit reportedly aligned with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.