The absence of any Shiv Sena representative from Mumbai in the Maharashtra Cabinet has come as a surprise to its supporters who have questioned the party’s intention to deny representation to the metropolis.
This marks the first time in Maharashtra’s full cabinet that no MLA from the Shiv Sena, which has six MLAs from Mumbai, has been given a ministerial berth. Historically, Mumbai has been a stronghold of the Shiv Sena, and in both previous regimes – the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Sena government (2014–2019) and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government – there were always two. There are three Shiv Sena ministers from Mumbai in the cabinet.
In contrast, the BJP with its 15 MLAs from Mumbai Two big leaders have been included– Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Ashish Shelar – in the Council of Ministers. The move signals the BJP’s intention to play a dominant role in Mumbai ahead of the civic polls and assert itself as a senior alliance partner.
Shinde-led Shiv Sena insiders expressed disappointment at the exclusion and insisted that having a minister from Mumbai was important to maintain the party’s base in the city.
“BMC has always been the backbone of the Shiv Sena. With elections approaching, our position would have been stronger if we had at least one minister from Mumbai. However, Shinde ji should have a strategy,” said a senior Sena leader.
The leader added that the boycott could harm the party’s prospects, especially since the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) had trounced the Shinde faction in Mumbai in the recent elections.
“The UBT Sena’s dominance in the city, as seen in the recent election results, makes it all the more necessary for us to focus on Mumbai to regain our stronghold and win the BMC elections,” the leader said.
The battle for Mumbai continues to rage between two factions of the army, both racing to prove their dominance in the city. While Shinde’s faction has overtaken Uddhav in other parts of Maharashtra, Mumbai remains a challenging front.
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