MUMBAI, Feb. 19 -- When (an undivided) Shiv Sena walked away from its three-decade old alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 to form the government with its traditional political rivals, Congress and (an undivided) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the BJP termed the move a deception. This however set in motion similar possibilities for the future - Sena's split, following which the Shinde-led faction joined hands with BJP, followed by a similar split in NCP facilitating the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the party joining hands with the then Mahayuti government led by Shinde "for the state's development". This new normal in the political game of chess hit its peak during the local body polls, held after eight years, recently - the quest for power overriding ideological differences and prevailing state level alliances. After the BJP attempted to align with Congress and AIMIM in Ambernath and Akot (Akola), Shiv Sena (UBT) supported arch rival BJP in Chandrapur, while two factions of Shiv Sena are likely to join hands for the Dharashiv district council to keep the "common enemy" BJP away from power. Similar curious alliances were seen following the elections to over 650 urban and rural bodies held over the last couple of months. While two groups in Congress, led by MP Praitibha Dhanorkar and MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, were engaged in a factional feud over political clout in the Chandrapur, BJP tacitly forged an alliance with Sena (UBT) and won the mayoral election. Despite having the numbers to stake claim on the post after winning 27 seats in the 66-member corporation, Congress lost the opportunity. BJP, which won 23, aligned with Shiv Sena (UBT) which had six seats, to stake claim on the post. A senior Sena (UBT) insider said, "The unexpected alliance took everyone by surprise, especially since the party's strained relations with the BJP since 2019. Although the party leadership was reluctant, it conceded to the demand made locally." In Dharashiv, Marathwada, two Sena factions are expected to align in its district council, to keep BJP away from the power. BJP and Shiv Sena have won 19 and 15 seats each, while Sena (UBT) and NCP have won seven and six seats respectively. Former minister and local leader Tanaji Sawant of Shiv Sena has been trying to forge an alliance with Sena (UBT) and other smaller parties to achieve the halfway mark of 28 in the 55-seat body. BJP leader and Tuljapur MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil is however looking to elect his wife Archana as the council president and is therefore keen on BJP and Sena forging a tie. "In order to forge a non-BJP alliance, Sawant will have to bring Sena (UBT), NCP and four independents to elect the president. For now, the reconciliation between two factions of Sena in Dharashiv seems inoperative," said a Sena leader, while former party MP Ravindra Gaikwad has denied this would fructify. The Sangli district council is the only one of 12 councils, which went to polls on February 7, where opposition parties are in a position to stake claim to the council president's post. NCP (SP) has emerged the single largest party by winning 18 seats in the 61-member body, while its ally Congress has 11 seats, while NCP has won six seats. The two opposition party leaders met NCP leader and former MP Sanjay Kaka Patil proposing an alliance for the president's post. NCP, however, is in a decisive position and can support either side to come to power. BJP and Shiv Sena have won 16 and seven seats respectively. "Sanjay Patil wants to join hands with the opposition as they had an understanding before the elections. If this prevails, Sangli may be the only exception with the two NCPs jointly coming to power with Congress," said an NCP leader. Patil told HT, "We have spoken to leaders from both sides and demanded the post of the council president as a tribute to Ajit Pawar. The final decision rests with the party president Sunil Tatkare and deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar." BJP, meanwhile, stitched an alliance with AIMIM and Congress in Akot in Akola; Achalpur in Amaravati; and Ambernath respectively in the municipal council and nagar panchayats two months ago. It sought the support of AIMIM in Akot and Achalpur by forming a local front to stake claim on the tehsil level body. In Ambernath, it engineered a defection in Congress in the municipal council, making 12 Congress corporators join a local front to come to power. However, when unexpected alliances generated political debate nationally, the BJP leadership scrapped ties with AIMIM; but claimed that Ambernath's Congress corporators quit the party of their own to join them. A Shiv (UBT) leader said such alliances at local levels are beyond the control of the party leadership. "Be it the case of Chandrapur or Ambernath, where an alliance was forged between Shiv Sena and MNS, local leaders have different interests and equations with the opposing parties. For instance, the four MNS corporators had a pre-poll understanding with Shiv Sena in Kalyan and Dombivli. They would have quit the party if the permission to support the Sena was not given. Similarly, in Chandrapur, our six corporators would have taken a different stand if they had been asked not to support the BJP," he said....