Everyone was surprised when the Congress high command appointed the low-profile Harshvardhan Sapkal as the state Congress president. Without fanfare, he is trying to make the Congress as the main opposition and ideological force in the state. His predecessors had tried hard to stitch an alliance with Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, but Sapkal made it after a gap of 25 years. He also cemented an alliance with Mahadev Jankar’s Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. He was firm against a tie-up with Raj Thackeray for the BMC polls despite Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s persuasion to Rahul Gandhi. Sapkal is making decisions, not influenced by Sharad Pawar.

Shinde Sena bargains for bigger pie in polls

The regional allies of the BJP often face difficulties in maintaining their position of strength. Shinde-led Sena, however, is playing hardball with bigger ally BJP. Shinde fielded more candidates against the BJP in local body polls when alliance talks failed. Winning 53 Nagar Parishad president posts, Sena maintained a better success ratio. In BMC seat sharing, Shinde forced the BJP to concede 80 seats against the initial offer of 50 in the 227-member BMC polls. He is bargaining hard for Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls. Even if Shinde secures 50% seats it contests in BMC poll, he will play a key role in Mumbai power politics.