Raut’s remarks came amid heightened political activity after results of elections to Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations were declared on January 16. In the BMC, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member civic body, while the Shinde faction secured 29 seats. The majority mark to elect the mayor is 114, leaving no party with a clear path to power without post-poll support.

Speaking to reporters, Raut said the mayoral contest in Mumbai remained wide open and criticised the timing of the developments, noting that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. “Councillors are being moved from one place to another when results are still being assessed. This is strange and raises questions,” he said.

Soon after the results, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena accommodated its 29 corporators at a hotel in Bandra. The party said the move was intended to conduct an orientation workshop to familiarise newly elected members with the functioning of the BMC, the country’s richest civic body. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met the corporators at the hotel on Sunday evening.

However, political observers say the decision also reflects concerns over possible defections at a time when the BJP requires support from the Shinde faction to cross the majority threshold. Sources indicated that corporators have been asked to remain at the hotel until Wednesday afternoon, a move described as precautionary to prevent horse-trading.

The developments have revived memories of the 2022 Shiv Sena split, when Shinde led a rebellion that eventually brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. That episode saw MLAs being moved across states amid claims and counterclaims of loyalty and majority.

With the Shinde faction staking a claim to the mayoral post, negotiations between allies are expected to intensify in the coming days. Any disagreement over leadership could reshape equations within the ruling alliance in Maharashtra’s most politically and financially significant civic body.

For now, political rhetoric has sharpened, with Raut’s comments adding to the pressure as parties prepare for the next phase of negotiations that will determine control of the BMC.