Amravati, Jan 22 (IANS) In a development that has stunned the political landscape in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have joined forces in local municipal bodies. This “unprecedented success” for the AIMIM in recent municipal elections has paved the way for a power-sharing arrangement with the BJP in Achalpur and Akot, sparking intense debate over ideological compromises.

In the Achalpur Municipal Council in Amravati district, the BJP and AIMIM have formed a strategic alliance to secure key positions. Despite being polar opposites in state and national politics, the two parties have come together to govern. As part of this arrangement, a member of the AIMIM has been appointed Chairman of the Education and Sports Committee.

This new alliance comprises BJP as the leading partner, AIMIM with three councillors, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) with two councillors and Independents with three councillors.

The alliance in Achalpur follows a similar controversial precedent set in the Akot municipality. Under the “Akot Vikas Manch”, the local BJP leadership integrated AIMIM councillors into their governing front.

The trend has now extended to the Hivarkhed Municipal Council, where a rare tripartite synergy was witnessed. A BJP candidate for the Deputy Chairperson’s post was proposed by a Congress member and seconded by an AIMIM member. These local alliances have drawn sharp criticism from the BJP’s state leadership.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed strong displeasure, characterising these local tie-ups as “acts of indiscipline” that tarnish the party’s image. Fadnavis has reiterated that the BJP will not tolerate any alliance with the AIMIM or Congress.

The BJP state unit had earlier issued a show-cause notice to Akot MLA Prakash Bharsakale for his role in facilitating the local alliance with the AIMIM. The Chief Minister has ordered that these local arrangements be dismantled, stating: “If this has been done by the local leadership, it will have to be broken.”

Despite show-cause notices being issued to the local leadership at that time, the ground reality remains unchanged.

The persistence of these alliances suggests that local power dynamics are currently trumping the official ideologies dictated by state headquarters. While local leaders argue that these alliances are necessary for development and local stability, the backlash at the state level highlights a growing rift between ground-level power equations and the ideological mandates of the party headquarters.

–IANS

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