BMC Elections 2026: 12 Suspended Congress Corporators Join BJP Ahead of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Polls in Mumbai
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray accused the BJP of indulging in 'dirty and communal politics', claiming that the party has failed to address key public issues. Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.
Navi Mumbai, January 9: The 12 suspended Congress corporators from Maharashtra's Ambernath municipal council on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray accused the BJP of indulging in "dirty and communal politics", claiming that the party has failed to address key public issues.
Speaking to ANI, Thackeray said, "... We have been seeing this dirty politics by the BJP... Fadnavis has nothing left to do; he has done no work he can show to people, so he is doing communal politics... Sambhaji Nagar has water crisis. What did the BJP do there in the last 3 years..." Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections 2026: BJP’s Alliance With AIMIM, Congress Shameful Display of Hypocrisy, Says Shiv Sena (UBT)'s ‘Saamana’.
Suspended Congress Corporators Join BJP Ahead of BMC Polls
On Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conveyed his strong displeasure and asked local BJP units to end their alliances with the Congress in Ambarnath and with the AIMIM in Akot after the municipal council elections in the state.
BJP, in a rare move, entered into an alliance with Congress to gain control over the Ambernath municipal council to keep out its ally Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena won the highest number of 27 seats, just four shy of a majority in the 60-member House. BJP, on the other hand, won 14 seats, Congress won 12, Ajit Pawar's NCP won 4 seats, and two seats went to independent candidates, prompting BJP to ally with Congress and Ajit Pawar's NCP. BMC Elections 2026: List of Key Candidates From BJP, Shiv Sena, MNS and Others.
BJP also formed a similar alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and several other parties in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district. Following the alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called out the BJP for "their double standards" of giving a slogan of "Congress-free India" and then entering into an alliance with them to secure a majority in the Ambernath municipal council.
He also criticised the BJP for being in alliance with Ajit Pawar's NCP, stating that Ajit Pawar does not believe in Veer Savarkar's ideology. Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)