Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Until Monday (November 17), the last day for filing nominations for municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in the district, the Shinde Sena had not formed an alliance with any Mahayuti partner. Although the parties are together in the government as the Mahayuti, they may face each other directly in the municipal council elections.
An alliance can be discussed only after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations, said Shinde Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre.
Elections to the municipal councils of Paithan, Vaijapur, Gangapur, Kannad, Sillod and Khuldabad and the Phulambri Nagar Panchayat are currently underway. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is November 21. Only after that will the picture about each municipal council’s election become clear.
Despite being ruling alliance partners, the Shinde Sena has fielded its own independent candidates in all municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Local leaders of the BJP, Shinde Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) have reportedly not made any strong efforts to form an alliance. Senior party leaders have given local leaders the authority to decide about alliances at their level.
The Shinde Sena is dominant in the assembly constituencies of Paithan, Vaijapur, Kannad, and Sillod. BJP MLAs represent Gangapur, Khuldabad, and Phulambri. However, none of the Mahayuti parties have taken significant initiative regarding alliances. It is believed that disagreements over the municipal council president posts have stalled alliance talks in most places.
Bhumre said,“In none of the municipal council elections in the district has our Shinde Sena formed an alliance with anyone. Today the nomination papers have been filed, but only after November 21, when it becomes clear who remains in the race, can a decision about alliance be taken.”