After establishing an absolute power in the union, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also taking a combative role in Nashik city. The BJP believes that its power has increased in the city and thus they have decided to claim all four constituencies in the city. Not just this, the BJP, which is in power at the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has decided to ask for the position of mayor. BJP city president Lakshman Sawji has shown signs of discussing the issue with MNS very soon.
The NMC is ruled by the BJP- MNS alliance. However, the condition is different outside the NMC, in the state it is the BJP-Shiv Sena- RPI”s mega alliance which is in power. The BJP and Shiv Sena mega alliance itself had contested the Lok Sabha elections which were contested recently. MNS had given its candidature to Dr Pradeep Pawar whereas Hemant Godse was the candidate from Sena-BJP. The Nashik city has four constituencies namely, East Nashik, Central Nashik, West Nashik and Deolali. Hemant Godse was on the forefront in terms of votes from all these constituencies. This was the result of the wave of BJP’s Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi. However, as the BJP has come in power at the union, the value of Nashik BJP has also increased. The party is ready to change the alliance parties on the backdrop of the coming Vidhan Sabha elections. Accordingly, BJP is demanding that Sena should contest from seven constituencies and the BJP will contest from eight constituencies. Sawji has informed that the party will also demand that all the four city constituencies fshould be left for BJP. This proposal of the BJP will be sent to senior leaders. Sawji has also signalled that while taking all four city constituencies, the constituencies in the rural areas will be left in large numbers for Sena. Also, the BJP has started preparing to deadlock MNS along with Sena. Even if Sena-BJP is together in the state, the BJP is in alliance with MNS in the NMC.
MNS has forty candidates and 14 candidates from BJP have supported them. On this backdrop, the MNS was given the mayor’s position for the first two and a half years and the BJP was given the position of the deputy mayor. However now the BJP will demand to make changes in positions to the mayor’s position and that of the deputy mayor to Sena, said Sawji. Sena’s support for the position of mayor
The MNS did not get majority in the NMC. Even if the BJP gives them support, it can get majority only if all opposition parties come together.
Thus, in order to get the position of mayor, the BJP will have to take help of Shiv Sena too along with MNS. It has also planned for the same. The tenure of the current mayor will end on September 15. The BJP has planned on the same backdrop.
