Cracks in alliance?: After KDMC, Sena-Congress front challenges BJP in Mira Bhayandar
Corporators from the Congress and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have come together to form a joint opposition front named the Mira-Bhayandar City Development Front.
Even as the BJP and the Shiv Sena remain allies in the Maharashtra government and at the Centre, the Eknath Shinde-led party has chosen to sit in the Opposition in the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) by joining hands with Congress corporators—against the BJP.
This development highlights the continuing strain between the Shiv Sena and the BJP across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), extending beyond earlier flashpoints such as Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), Thane, and Navi Mumbai.
The BJP secured a sweeping victory in the 2026 Mira-Bhayandar civic elections, winning 78 of the 95 elected seats. Five additional corporators are yet to be nominated. Despite the BJP’s overwhelming majority, Opposition parties have begun consolidating within the civic body.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who is from the Shiv Sena, said corporators from the Congress and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have come together to form a joint opposition front named the Mira-Bhayandar City Development Front or Shahar Vikas Aghadi.
However, Sarnaik clarified that the grouping is neither a merger nor a formal alliance with the Congress. “Opposition corporators have formed a group to ensure that the brute majority of a particular party is not misused, and that there is space for the Opposition in the MBMC,” he said.
He added that the alliance was formed in the interest of local residents. “People of Mira-Bhayandar have united against a corrupt local BJP leader. We will not allow anything wrong to happen in the municipal corporation. Sixteen corporators have come together for the city, setting aside their political affiliations,” Sarnaik said.
The Opposition bloc currently comprises 13 Congress corporators, three from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and one Independent, taking its total strength to 17. Under municipal rules, the largest Opposition party or alliance is entitled to the post of Leader of the Opposition, representation on the Standing Committee, and nomination rights.
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Sources said discussions between the Congress and the Shiv Sena regarding formal group registration and the appointment of a group leader are in the final stages. An official submission to the municipal commissioner is expected shortly, following which the Leader of the Opposition is likely to be appointed.
Political observers say the development underlines the contrast between state-level power-sharing arrangements and civic-level politics.
The BJP has criticised the move, claiming it validates its earlier allegation of a tacit understanding between the Congress and the Shiv Sena during the elections. BJP leaders said the development exposed what they described as a “double standard” adopted by the Opposition.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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