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New Delhi: Politics has heated up in Maharashtra following the BJP–Congress alliance in Ambernath, with reports now indicating that all 12 Congress councillors elected to the municipal council are preparing to formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The political churn in the Ambernath Municipal Council has triggered a wider stir in state politics, as the BJP , which has long campaigned nationally for a 'Congress-free India,' chose to secure power in Ambernath by directly aligning with the Indian National Congress.
By pushing aside the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction, an unexpected BJP–Congress alliance took shape in the Ambernath Municipal Council, enabling the BJP to move towards a clear majority. BJP councillor Tejashree Karanjule was elected Mayor of the Ambernath Municipal Council following the alliance. The power arrangement is backed by 32 councillors — 16 from the BJP, 12 from the Congress and four from the Nationalist Congress Party — giving the BJP a decisive edge in the civic body.
The developments have sparked strong resentment within the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), which accused the BJP of political betrayal.
Shiv Sena MLA Dr Balaji Kinikar alleged that the BJP had abandoned its ideological stance by joining hands with the Congress. He said, “The BJP, which talks about a Congress-free India, has today joined hands with the Congress. This is a betrayal of Shiv Sena. Going forward, Shiv Sena will continue to stand with politics of development.”
Rejecting the allegations, BJP leaders said the alliance was a result of political compulsions and failed negotiations with the Shinde faction. Party vice-president Gulabrao Karanjule Patil claimed that remaining in power with the Shinde faction, which he accused of being involved in corruption for over two decades, would have been more inappropriate.
He further said that repeated discussions were held on forming a grand alliance with the Shinde faction for the Ambernath Municipal Council, but there was no response from their leadership.
BJP leadrs in Ambernath Narendra Pawar said, "We did not ask for support. In Ambernath, the municipal president is from the BJP. The Congress and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) extended unconditional support.”
While the BJP–Congress arrangement has clarified the power equation in the Ambernath Municipal Council, it has also created unease within the broader opposition space. Attempts to contact Congress city president Pradeep Patil for his response were unsuccessful.
