Resort politics returns to Mumbai as Shinde moves Sena corporators to luxury hotel after BMC results

The move comes amid intense bargaining over who will control India’s richest civic body.

Party sources said the 29 corporators elected on the Shinde Sena ticket have been instructed to reach the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra and stay together for the next three days.

The strategy is aimed at preventing any attempts at poaching or defection at a time when political negotiations are at their peak.

BJP-Sena alliance crosses majority mark

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance emerged victorious in the BMC elections, ending the Thackeray family’s 25-year dominance over the civic body.

The BJP secured 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Sena won 29, taking the Mahayuti tally to 118, well above the majority mark of 114 in the 227-member house.

Despite the comfortable numbers, no single party has an outright majority, making Shinde’s faction a crucial player in the formation of the civic body.

Sources said the deputy chief minister is leaving nothing to chance as talks continue over leadership posts, including the powerful mayor’s position.

Fear of horse-trading looms

Sources indicated that one of the key reasons behind moving the corporators to a hotel is the fear of horse-trading.

If the Opposition unites, it would need just eight more members to reach the halfway mark and potentially block the BJP-led alliance from taking charge of the BMC.

On the Opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP (Sharad Pawar) together hold 72 seats.

The Congress has 24, AIMIM eight and the Samajwadi Party two, taking the combined Opposition strength to 106.

The narrow gap has heightened concerns of defections.

Shinde Sena eyes Mayor’s post

Apart from safeguarding numbers, Shinde’s move is also seen as a bargaining tactic.

Party insiders said there is strong pressure from within the Shiv Sena faction not to compromise on the mayor’s post, traditionally held by the Sena when the undivided party ruled the BMC.

Being in a kingmaker position, the Shinde camp is reportedly keen that a Sena corporator becomes mayor, despite being a junior partner to the BJP in the alliance.

Corporators have urged the leadership to use its leverage to secure the prestigious post.

Opposition takes jibes

The decision triggered sharp reactions from Congress.

MP Naseer Hussain questioned Shinde’s move, asking who he was afraid of and who might attempt to poach his councillors.

He alleged that the BJP had a history of growing by splitting allies and warned Shinde to be cautious.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also weighed in, claiming Shinde was scared of the BJP.

Addressing a press conference, Thackeray said his party still aspired to have its own mayor in Mumbai but admitted it lacked the numbers.

He further hinted at the possibility of another split within the Sena faction.

Memories of past political standoffs

The developments have revived memories of earlier bouts of resort politics in Maharashtra.

During the 2019 post-election impasse, rival parties had housed MLAs in luxury hotels amid defection fears.

A similar strategy was seen in 2022 during the Shiv Sena split, when legislators were moved to hotels in Surat, Guwahati and Goa.

Verdict and political stakes

While the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, the results underlined Shinde’s struggle to retain the Sena’s traditional base in Mumbai.

His faction managed 29 seats, while Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena won 65.

Speaking after the results, Shinde said the verdict was a mandate for development and against corruption.

On the mayoral race, he said the post would go to “someone from the Mahayuti,” keeping the suspense alive.

As negotiations continue behind closed doors, Mumbai once again finds itself at the centre of high-stakes political drama, with resort politics becoming the tool of choice to guard numbers and influence power equations.