BJP, AIMIM, Congress Alliance In Maharashtra: CM Fadnavis Passes Strict Instructions

In an unimaginable development, an alliance amongst the BJP, Congress and the AIMIM has taken place in Maharashtra. In some municipal councils, the alliance between the opposite parties have sparked controversies. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stepped into the matter. On Wednesday (7th January), he instructed the BJP to immediately dissolve its local-level alliances with the Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in two municipal councils, asserting that such arrangements are unacceptable for the party.

The Municipal Councils Where BJP, AIMIM, and Congress Were in Alliance

Responding to reports of tie-ups in Ambernath and Akot ahead of the January 15 municipal council elections, Fadnavis said explicit directions had been issued to end the alliances. He warned that the party would review the matter and initiate disciplinary proceedings against those found to have violated organisational decisions.

“The BJP will not enter into alliances with the Congress or AIMIM. This position has been clearly communicated, and necessary corrective steps will be taken,” the chief minister said.

In Ambernath, located around 60 km from Mumbai, the BJP had formed the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi in a strategic move to prevent the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from gaining control of the municipal council. The front included 14 BJP councillors, 12 from the Congress, four from the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and one Independent member. A formal letter declaring the formation of the alliance and naming Abhijeet Gulabrao Karanjule-Patil as its leader was submitted to the Thane district collector.

While the BJP succeeded in securing the municipal chairman’s post, the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party in the council with 27 seats. Both ex- Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan hail from Thane district, and the alliance was reportedly registered amid a power struggle between the two parties to retain control over key leadership positions in the council.

In Vidarbha’s Akola district, the BJP has also formed a front named the Akot Vikas Manch in the Akot municipal council, aligning with the AIMIM, which emerged as the second-largest party after the BJP with five seats. The alliance further includes both factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP, along with Bachchu Kadu’s Prahar Janshakti Party.

The registration of the Akot Vikas Manch was submitted to the Akola district collector on Tuesday. BJP corporator Ravi Thakur has been named the group leader, making it mandatory for all member corporators to adhere to the alliance whip during council proceedings.

The front is expected to vote as a bloc during the elections for the deputy president and co-opted members scheduled for January 13. At present, the alliance commands the support of 25 of the 33 elected members, with council president Maya Dhule serving as the 26th member. Dhule had earlier defeated AIMIM candidate Firojabi Sikandar Rana by a margin of 5,271 votes in the election for the council president’s post. Six Congress members and two councillors from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi will remain in the Opposition.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal dismissed any suggestion of a formal alliance between the BJP and the Congress, stating that the two parties had contested the elections against each other. Congress sources said the party has sought a detailed report on the developments and will take appropriate action if any organisational norms were breached.

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