Rare Alliance: BJP and Congress Unite to Oust Shiv Sena in Ambernath Civic Body

An unexpected BJP-Congress-Ajit Pawar NCP alliance has formed in Maharashtra’s Ambernath Municipal Council. The Ambernath Vikas Aghadi aims to keep the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena out of power, despite it emerging as the single largest party.

In an unexpected political development in Maharashtra’s Ambernath Municipal Council, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress joined forces with the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to keep the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena out of power, reports said. The alliance, dubbed the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi, has reshaped the civic body’s power balance and triggered sharp political reactions across the state.

BJP, Congress and NCP join hands

The recent civic polls in Ambernath, a bustling town in Thane district near Mumbai, saw the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena emerge as the single largest party by winning 27 out of 60 seats. However, the party could not secure a majority on its own. In response, local leaders from the BJP, Congress and the NCP combined their seats to form a ruling coalition with a comfortable majority of 32 members in the municipal council. Under this banner, BJP leader Tejashree Karanjule was elected President (Mayor) of the council.

The move has stunned political observers given the long-standing national rivalry between the BJP and Congress, with the former often campaigning on slogans such as “Congress-Free India.” Shiv Sena leaders swiftly condemned the arrangement as an “unholy and opportunistic alliance,” with MLA Balaji Kinikar accusing the BJP of betraying its stated principles by aligning with the Congress at the local level.

Local BJP leaders defended the coalition by saying it was formed in the interests of securing “fear-free and corruption-free governance” in Ambernath, and that they had made repeated efforts to engage with the Shiv Sena’s leadership but received no positive response. They also argued that the realignment was necessary to ensure stable civic governance after the elections.

Political analysts note that this unusual alliance reflects broader strains within Maharashtra’s political landscape, especially within the ruling Mahayuti coalition at the state level. The Ambernath episode comes amidst broader realignments in other municipalities, including similar post-poll partnerships in places like Akot, drawing criticism from senior BJP leaders who say such alliances breach party discipline. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated these local arrangements may be reviewed.

The development has reignited debates on ideological coherence and political pragmatism as parties seek local power ahead of upcoming municipal and assembly polls in the state.