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KDMC results led to intense post-poll politics as Shinde Sena gained support through shifting alliances and defections.
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray (Credit: Instagram)
While results for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra were declared on January 16, few have triggered as much behind-the-scenes political action as the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). In the days since the verdict, developments here have attracted more attention than even Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, largely due to sharp infighting within the ruling camp.
In KDMC, the real battle was not between the ruling alliance and the opposition, but within the alliance itself. The contest has played out between the Shiv Sena led by Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde and its partner, the BJP, headed in the state by Ravindra Chavan. Opposition parties remained mostly on the margins during the elections, but their numbers have now become crucial in deciding who will control the civic body.
The 122-member KDMC produced a fractured result. The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) emerged slightly ahead with 53 seats, while the BJP followed closely with 50. With the majority mark at 61, neither side could stake an immediate claim, shifting the focus to smaller parties and independent corporators.
The first major turn came when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raju Patil chose to back the Shinde-led Shiv Sena with his group of five corporators, instead of aligning with the BJP or the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction. This move took the Shinde Sena’s strength to 58, leaving it just three seats short of a majority but clearly in the lead.
Soon after, tensions surfaced within the UBT camp. Sharad Patil, the party’s KDMC district chief, approached the police and filed a missing complaint for two corporators. Sources later said the two were in contact with the Shinde-led Sena.
Of the UBT faction’s 11 corporators, two are said to be “not reachable”, while two others — Swapnali Kene and Rahul Kot — are reportedly in touch with the MNS, an ally of the Thackeray camp. Sharad Patil later clarified that the police complaint was limited to the two corporators allegedly linked to the Shinde faction.
The numbers have since shifted further. Shrikant Shinde, MP from Kalyan and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is believed to have secured support from one corporator of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and two from the Congress. This has pushed the Shinde-led grouping to 65 seats, comfortably past the majority mark, while the BJP remains at 50.
Sources also indicate that seven corporators still formally with the UBT camp are in touch with the Shinde faction. If they eventually switch sides, the Shinde-led alliance could reach 72 members, leaving the BJP isolated despite being a key partner in the state government.
The unfolding developments in KDMC have reshaped the local political landscape. Shrikant Shinde has emerged as a strong and decisive political player, showing an ability to consolidate power even at the cost of a larger ally.
In Kalyan-Dombivli, the election may be over, but the real fight for control of the civic body has only just begun.
January 24, 2026, 10:15 PM IST
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