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Ambernath: After Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, in an exclusive conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, flagged an ideologically mismatched alliance between the BJP and its prime rival Congress in Ambernath ahead of the Maharashtra local body polls, the saffron party discreetly took a roundabout, and went ahead to induct all the councillors suspended by the Congress for patching up a coalition in the region, into its party.

The BJP snapped its ties with the Congress in Ambernath, an eastern suburban city in Thane, within minutes of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' interview, in which Goswami pressed Fadnavis on how the BJP could justify a tactical understanding with the Congress at the local level while it is completely opposed to it ideologically nationally. Fadnavis was caught off guard by the specific details of the Ambernath arrangement.

Soon after, the BJP called off its alliance with the Congress in Ambernath and with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district. The Congress high command, in turn, suspended all the 12 councillors in Ambernath who had joined hands with the BJP for the local body polls. 

However, in yet another late-night political maneuver by the Fadnavis-led BJP in Maharashtra, the saffron party did not think twice and went ahead to induct all the suspended councillors into its ranks. The BJP carried out this political blitzkrieg, with no discussion with its ally, Shiv Sena. The ‘Congress’-free alliance is now all set to elect its Municipal President.    

BJP-Congress Alliance In Ambernath 

The BJP, though part of the ruling Mahayuti, which is politically opposed to the Congress had given a free hand to its cadres ahead of the local body polls. The local leadersip in Ambernath, entered into an alliance with Congress, apparently to gain control over the local municipal council to keep out its ally Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.

In the last municipal council polls, the combined Shiv Sena had won the highest number of seats, 27, just four shy of a majority in the 60-member House. The BJP, on the other hand, won 14 seats, the Congress won 12, Ajit Pawar's NCP won 4 seats, and two seats went to Independent candidates, prompting the BJP to ally with Congress and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

What Fadnavis Had Said In The Interview

On Wednesday, when questioned by Arnab Goswami, in the interview about the rationale behind having such tactical arrangements with its arch rival Congress, at the local level, Fadnavis, appearing caught off guard by the specific details of the Ambernath arrangement, was categorical in his response, “It should not happen at all... I will not accept it.”

Explaining the disconnect between state leadership and grassroots tactics, Fadnavis stated: "These are small cities. Decisions are made at the local level many times. We don’t get all the decisions... sometimes local leaders have so much enmity [with allies] that they take someone else. But this is wrong."