After alliance move falls through, 12 suspended Congress councillors in Ambernath join BJP

Chavan said, “The BJP welcomed suspended Congress councillors who approached us. They expressed a desire to join the BJP, motivated by a shared commitment to development in Ambernath.”

The Congress, meanwhile, is set to initiate legal proceedings to disqualify the 12 corporators, terming the move completely illegal. Sachin Sawant, senior spokesperson for the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, stated that forming an independent group or defecting to another party is not only unethical but also unconstitutional. He further informed that legal notices will be served to all 12 individuals shortly.

The BJP’s move is seen as a strategy to counter its alliance partner Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The BJP’s move in Ambernath, which is part of Shinde’s home turf Thane has not been well received by their alliance partner. Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde, Eknath Shinde’s son, said, “The developments in Thane do not bode well for alliance politics.”

Chavan, however, downplayed the development, saying, “All the councillors who contested and were elected in the polls promised to bring development to the local community. They chose the BJP because under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, development is our top priority.”

The local polls in Ambernath were held on December 20. The BJP joined hands with its arch-rival, Congress, under the banner of Ambernath Vikas Aghadi (AVA) to form the Ambarnath municipal council leadership, sidelining its ally Shiv Sena, which had emerged as the single largest party. The Aghadi also included Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The AVA secured a majority of 31 seats in the 60-member local body. Shiv Sena won 27 seats, falling just four short of a majority. The BJP secured 14 seats, the Congress 12, the NCP 4, while two Independents were also elected.

With the support of one Independent, the three-party coalition’s strength rose to 32 councillors, crossing the majority mark of 30.

The alliance left both the BJP and Congress embarrassed. As part of damage control, Fadnavis initially stated, “We don’t endorse an alliance between Congress and BJP.” Meanwhile, Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal ordered the suspension of all 12 councillors.

Shrikant Shinde has called the development a betrayal of “coalition dharma” as the arrangement in Ambarnath is aimed at keeping the Eknath Shinde-led party from holding reins of the local body.

The Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “The development in Ambernath exposed BJP’s double standards. The BJP can stoop to any level to grab power. This is proven.”