In a surprising move, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is reportedly planning an alliance with the newly elected corporators of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the Kalyan Dombivli municipal corporation.
This comes shortly after Raj Thackeray buried the hatchet with his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and contested the election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) together. The alliance of the BJP and the Shinde Sena performed strongly in the BMC election, but the two allies are locked in a tussle for the Mayor post.
In the Kalyan Dombivli polls, the Sena and the BJP have won 53 and 50 seats, respectively. This is much more than the majority mark of 62, but both allies are learnt to have claimed the Mayor post. It is here that the five MNS corporators come in. If the Shinde Sena ties up with these five, the tally climbs to 58, four short of the majority.
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