Mumbai: BJP sets 150-seat target for BMC elections

Political parties have started gearing up for the local body elections However the real test would be for the Mahayuti to ink an alliance and work out seatsharing for the prestigious Mumbai civic pollsAccording to sources the BJP has called for lsquoMission 150rsquo for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC elections On the other hand its alliance partner Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is eyeing around 90 to 100 seats for the 227 corporator seats in the BMCThe BJPrsquos target and Shindersquos goal take the combined tally to 250 far exceeding the actual number of seats This means both saffron parties need to indulge in intense bargaining and seatsharing negotiations not only to put up a united front but also to keep the Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena UBT at bayChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar are working out their game plan to ensure it gets the maximum share in the seatsharing ldquoOur partyrsquos goal is very clearhellip to drastically improve the tally from 2017 numbers so that it can install its mayor in Mumbairdquo a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity Installing mayor means the BJPrsquos focus is clear Whether elections are contested in alliance or not the saffron party would not only like to become the single largest party but even have a simple majority in the BMC house on its own For any party to have a single majority in the BMC it needs to touch the magic number of 114 corporatorsFor nearly 25 years the BJP and Shiv Sena undivided alliance ruled the corporation In 2014 this alliance broke at the city level and both parties decided to contest independently in 2017 Sena bagged 84 seats while the BJP wasnrsquot far behind winning only two seats less than the Thackeray camp mdash a steep rise from 51 corporators in 2012For Uddhav retaining power in the BMC is a must But with a split in Sena over the years Sena UBTrsquos power and hold over Mumbai has been weakening making the task difficult especially as 43 of the 84 corporators elected on an undivided Shiv Sena ticket in 2017 have left the UBT camp and joined the Shinde factionNot to be left behind Shinde too is putting all his shoulders to the wheel to make his partyrsquos footprint visible in the coming BMC election lsquoBhairsquo as Shinde is fondly referred to has already roped in 43 corporators from the UBT camp and the number is likely to increase as elections nearThe race is clearly visible between the Mahayuti partners After Shelar now Shinde has hit the streets to inspect premonsoon preparedness in the eastern suburbs On Thursday Shelar had inspected eastern suburban areas After Shindersquos visit his office issued a statement saying all work should be completed withing the stipulated period of which 10 to 15 days remain Civic contractors who fail to do so will face strict actionSpeaking specifically about the BMC polls a Shinde camp leader stated that retaining Mumbai is key as the Senarsquos strength comes from this city ldquoEveryone knows that no party wins all the seats that it contests Hence we will need to contest significant seats to maintain our strength and presencerdquo the leader said hinting that the Shinde camp will ask for a good number of seats when it comes to forging an alliance for the Mumbai civic pollsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params