ULHASNAGAR: The political equations in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) witnessed a decisive shift on Tuesday after two councillors elected on the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) ticket extended their support to the Shiv Sena, significantly strengthening the party’s claim to form the civic body.The move is being seen as a setback for the BJP, which contested election seperately and had emerged as the single largest party in the UMC elections with 37 councillors but fell short of the majority required to form the house.
The BJP needed the support of at least three more councillors to stake claim to power.The Shiv Sena, which won 36 seats, had already secured the backing of one councillor from its local ally, the SAI Party, and one Independent, taking its tally to 38. With the support of the two VBA councillors, the Shiv Sena has comfortably crossed the majority mark, effectively clearing the path for the formation of its civic administration in Ulhasnagar.VBA councillors Surekha Sonawane and Vikas Kharat met deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde at his Mumbai residence and formally submitted letters of support. Kalyan Loksabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde was present during the meeting.The councillors said their decision was guided by the need to ensure overall development of their wards, particularly through schemes such as the Dalit Basti Sudhar Yojana and other local infrastructure projects.MLA Dr Balaji Kinikar, Sunil Chaudhary (former President of Ambernath Municipal Council were also present, indicating the political importance of the development.The latest development is expected to hasten the process of government formation in the municipal corporation in the coming days.
