MUMBAI: With the Maha Vikas Aghadi government falling and Eknath Shinde taking over in alliance with the BJP, former CM Uddhav Thackeray faces an uphill task for the BMC polls. Unless Thackeray decides to mend fences with Shinde and the rebels, it will be a much-diminished party under his leadership that will clash with BJP to retain its biggest bastion - Mumbai - which it has held for three decades. Civic polls in the city are slated for September/October 2022.
Shinde's role will be crucial in the BMC polls, especially if his faction decides to tie up with BJP. "While it will be hard for Thackeray to accept the rebels back, it may be one of the options if the Uddhav camp wants to retain BMC," an observer said. The general perception is that unless Thackeray accepts Shinde back into the fold, he will find it hard to withstand a rejuvenated BJP. In the 2017 polls, Sena won 84 seats, while BJP had 82. Later, six from MNS and some independents joined Sena. Total number of electoral wards in BMC is now up from 227 to 236 following redrawing of ward boundaries.
