A major political development has emerged from Ambernath in Thane district, triggering sharp reactions across party lines. In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have come together in the Ambernath Municipal Council, sidelining the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and altering the local political equation.
With Congress support, the BJP is set to secure a majority in the municipal council, a move that has caused considerable unease within the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The party has strongly criticised the alliance, calling it an “unnatural and unethical” partnership. Leaders from the Shinde camp have said the development has come as a serious political setback for them.
The alliance has also reignited debate over the BJP’s long-standing stance of creating a “Congress-free India.” Despite this narrative, the BJP has now relied on Congress support to consolidate power in the Ambernath council. BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule has been elected as the Municipal Council President. The ruling combination is expected to include 16 BJP corporators, 12 from the Congress, and 4 from the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), taking the total to 32 and ensuring a clear majority.
Reacting sharply, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) once again labelled the arrangement an “unholy alliance.” Party MLA Balaji Kinikar accused the BJP of betraying its ally by joining hands with the Congress, claiming that this move was aimed at politically weakening the Shinde-led Sena.
Countering the allegations, BJP Vice-President Gulabrao Karanjule Patil said that an alliance with the Shinde faction, which he accused of indulging in corruption over the past 25 years, would have truly been an unethical partnership. He added that the BJP had made several attempts to discuss a MahaYuti-style alliance with the Shinde faction for the Ambernath Municipal Council, but their leaders failed to respond.
The Ambernath municipal contest was seen as a prestige battle, with BJP state president Ravindra Chavan and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MP Shrikant Shinde closely watching the outcome. The mayoral race witnessed a tough fight between Manisha Walekar of the Shinde faction and BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule Patil, with the latter emerging victorious.
However, the mayor’s post has gone to the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) secured the highest number of corporator seats. Of the 59 seats in the council, the Shinde faction won 23, followed by the BJP with 16, the Congress with 12, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) with 4. Despite not being the single largest party, the BJP has managed to take control of the council through its new alliance, setting the stage for fresh political friction in the region.
