Congress, BJP join hands in Malegaon civic body, form Bharatiya Vikas Aghadi to gain leverage

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured three and two seats respectively in the recent Malegaon Municipal Corporation elections, have come together to form a joint bloc named the Bharatiya Vikas Aghadi (BVA), as per reports.

Although the combined strength of the two parties is modest, the alliance significantly enhances their influence in the fractured 84-member municipal corporation. The group has been formally registered with the Nashik divisional commissioner.

Congress city unit president Ejaz Beg has been appointed leader of the BVA, while BJP corporator Madan Gaikwad will serve as deputy leader. Gaikwad reportedly stated that the decision to form the group was taken with the approval of senior leaders from both parties.

The municipal election results saw the ISLAM party emerge as the single largest party with 35 seats, followed by AIMIM with 21, Shiv Sena with 18, the Samajwadi Party (SP) with five, Congress with three and the BJP with two seats.

Beg reportedly stated that a group of five has been formed and all decisions will be taken collectively. He further added that the primary objective of the alliance was to ensure representation for both Congress and the BJP on the corporation’s standing committee.

As per reports, beyond committee representation, the formation of the BVA has altered the broader political arithmetic. ISLAM and the Samajwadi Party together command 40 seats, while a potential Shiv Sena–AIMIM alliance would hold 39. In either case, neither bloc can reach the majority mark of 43 seats without the support of the BVA.