The Shiv Sena has been controlling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country's richest civic body, since the last 30 years.In the BMC elections held in 2017, the BJP had made huge strides by winning 82 seats out of total 227 seats in the BMC, closing the gap with the Sena which bagged 86 seats. However, a stalemate on the sharing of the CM's post led to the break up of the alliance, leading to the Sena joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.
Now with the aim to dislodge the Uddhave foothold from the BMC segment, BJP has already started with their plans. For the same, BJP has appointed Kandivali East MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar in charge of the municipal elections. Bhatkhalkar's name was suggested at a meeting of the BJP executive held at the state office in Mumbai today. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, State President Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister Vijay Puranik along with key office bearers and activists of the party were present at the meeting.