India, Nov. 20 -- A split in the ruling Mahayuti alliance has turned the battle for the Uran Municipal Council into a triangular contest of sorts. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leveraging the influence of its local MLA Mahesh Baldi and Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, has fielded Shobha Kaushik Shah for the council president's post, while its ally Shiv Sena, miffed with the saffron party's unilateral decision, has fielded Rupali Thakur. The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have, meanwhile, rallied behind the NCP (SP)'s Bhavna Ghanekar as the presidential candidate.

A total of seven candidates are in the fray for the council president's post, which is reserved for women, while 74 ...