Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has forged an unprecedented post-election alliance with the Congress and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to assume control of the Ambernath Municipal Council in Thane district, deliberately excluding its longstanding state government partner, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, from the power structure despite the latter's status as the single-largest party.

The alliance, formally named the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi, secured a clear majority in the approximately 60-member council following polls held in December 2025, with the BJP contributing around 14-16 councillors, Congress 12, Ajit Pawar NCP four, and support from independents, enabling BJP candidate Tejashree Karanjule Patil to defeat Shiv Sena's Manisha Walekar in the fiercely contested presidential election.

This opportunistic coalition has provoked intense criticism from the Shiv Sena camp, with local MLA Balaji Kinikar denouncing it as an "unholy" and "unethical" arrangement that betrays alliance principles, highlighting the irony of the BJP partnering with Congress locally while advocating for a "Congress-free India" at the national level.

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BJP leaders, including Vice-President Gulabrao Karanjule Patil, justified the decision by citing unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a broader Mahayuti alliance with the Shinde faction, alongside allegations of persistent corruption, intimidation, and administrative mismanagement during the Shiv Sena's extended dominance over the civic body.

The episode underscores emerging strains within the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, particularly in Thane district—a traditional stronghold for Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—as parties manoeuvre for local influence ahead of impending municipal corporation elections, illustrating how grassroots power dynamics can supersede higher-level political partnerships.

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