Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supremo Raj Thackeray are pitted against each other for the elections to the 107-member Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), situated in the adjoining Thane district.
The polls, slated for October 31, are seen as a curtain raiser for the elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which will be held in 2012. BMC is the country’s richest civic body.
KDMC, which is ruled by the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, will see the Shiv Sena contesting 62 wards and the BJP in the remaining 45.
The MNS has decided to contest all the 107 seats on its own. So far, the party has declared 100 candidates, with focus on youth.
Further, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the state’s ruling alliance, have struck the deal after 10 days of deliberations over alliance. The Congress and NCP will contest 55 and 52 wards, respectively.
In the previous polls in April 2005, the Sena emerged the single-largest party winning 29 wards, while the BJP bagged 16.
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MNS, which hogged the headlines about three years ago when its members allegedly beat up north Indians who came to appear for a railways exam at Kalyan, did not rake up the Marathi-versus-north Indian issue ahead of the elections, and has instead focused exclusively on development.
Political analysts believe this is a visible change as Raj Thackeray, whose party won 13 seats in the state Assembly elections in 2009, is keen to showcase KDMC’s victory and the development plans as a model for BMC.
Raj Thackeray has decided to camp in Dombivli till the voting is over, while the Shiv Sena has set up a special team led by former minister Gajanan Kirtikar to oversee the party’s campaigning.
Besides, legislators and members of parliament have been asked to play a pro active role during campaigning. So far Raj has declared 100 candiates, most of which are young and committed party members.
Kalyan Dombivli region is a traditionally saffron bastion and hub of Marathi speaking population. It has been a stronghold of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party. However, Shiv Sena after capturing Thane in 60s nurtured the region.
BJP, which is contesting 45 seats, has taken a decision to counter Raj by fielding youths and educated candidates. The party believes that the Sena-BJP alliance is quite strong and well prepared to take on Raj.
However, Raj has criticized the saffron alliance rule saying that the region remains underdeveloped and no visible change is seen. He has assured the citizens pothole free roads and recovery of money from the concerned contractors.
In case of Congress-NCP, both are busy in making loud claims despite lack of proper organizational base in the region. The delay in the announcement of alliance has sent wrong signals among the party rank and file.