BMC election may hold the key to new shift in Maharashtra political power

Mumbai is eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The past three years have been tumultuous for Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together, extending the alliance to the Assembly elections later that year, but the old partnership ended thereafter.

In June this year, the story got another twist with Eknath Shinde, a powerful leader in the Shiv Sena, splitting the party and joining hands with the BJP.

The first test of the government, headed by Shinde with the BJP as ally, will be the BMC elections. “The Devendra Fadnavis-led