BMC elections 2017: Who will be Mumbai's mayor?

Though the last date to file the nominations is May 8, there is still no breakthrough in the talks between any of the contending parties

A week after the elections, there is still no clarity on who would rule the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationin Mumbai. The fractured mandate which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena bag 82 and 84 seats each in the recently concluded BMC elections 2017. The last date to file the nominations for the post of mayor is March 8, and there is still no breakthrough in the talks between any of the parties.

Meanwhile, the Congress decided to field a mayoral candidate and said that it would seek the support of the Nationalist Congress Party and the Samajwadi Party. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam however denied that his party would be indirectly supporting the Shiv Sena. "Both the BJP and the SS do not subscribe to our ideology," he said, but added that the Congress with 31 seats would not abstain from voting.

The various scenarios:

1. The BJP and the Shiv Sena could form an alliance. If the parties come together then both will rule the BMC with a strength of 166.
2. The Congress and the NCP could support the Shiv Sena. If this takes place then the Sena will rule the BMC with 128 corporators. The Congress however has a pre-condition and that the Sena must pull out of the state government led by the BJP.
3. If Congress and NCP stay neutral and abstain from voting it would bring down the house strength to 182. The Sena would then need 91 votes. The SS Sena 84 seats and has the support of 4 independents. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena with 7 corporators will hold the key.
4. The BJP could support the Sena from outside on the assurance that it would continue supporting the state government.
5. There could be a three-cornered fight with the Congress also fielding its own candidate.

OneIndia News