MUMBAI, Jan. 22 -- With no single party securing a clear majority in several civic bodies, intense political manoeuvring and aggressive negotiations are afoot. The latter include attempts to woo corporators from rival parties, forge alliances with traditional adversaries and liberally apply pressure tactics to secure support. The political churn is visible across Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Malegaon, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), Ulhasnagar and even the BMC. In Bhiwandi, Kolhapur and even in Chandrapur, the Congress, despite emerging as the single largest party, may not be able to form the local government due to a lack of post-poll support. In Malegaon, political circles indicate the possibility of strange bedfellows Islam Party and Shiv Sena getting together. The Congress, which is the single largest party in Chandrapur with 27 seats, has alleged that the BJP, with 23 seats, is attempting to retain control of Chandrapur by reaching out to independents, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and a section of Congress corporators. Former Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar claimed that several Congress corporators were in touch with the BJP. "Since no party has secured a clear majority, the BJP has initiated talks with other parties," he said, adding that the BJP's motive was selfless: the "development" of the city. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has six seats in Chandrapur, placing it in the decisive position while the Shinde Sena has only one. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has two and the AIMIM and BSP have one seat each. Two independents, both Congress rebels, are believed to be close to Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and would like to stand by the Congress. The Congress and the BJP are also grappling with internal factionalism. The BJP is divided between camps led by Mungantiwar and Kishore Jorgewar while the Congress is split between factions led by Wadettiwar and party MP Pratibha Dhanorkar. Despite being short of a majority, speculation has intensified over the BJP possibly exploiting the Congress's internal dissent through the notorious 'Operation Lotus'. Amid the infighting between Dhanorkar and Wadettiwar, the two leaders have lodged 15 and 12 of their corporators in separate hotels. "Although we are short of seven corporators, six from the Sena (UBT), two independents and two VBA corporators are supporting us. We will get power in Chandrapur," said a Congress leader. In KDMC and Ulhasnagar, the Shinde Sena has strengthened its position despite being below the halfway mark. It has 54 seats, and has the support of nine corporators from the Sena (UBT) and MNS, which has helped it reach the halfway mark of 62. In Ulhasnagar, the BJP and Shiv Sena are at loggerheads. Despite the BJP winning 37 seats against the Sena's 36, the latter has got support from two VBA members and an independent. This has put it in a better position to claim the mayor's post or better positions in other corporations. The Islam Party led by former MLA Asif Shaikh has won the highest number of seats in Malegaon (35) although the halfway mark is 43 in the 84-member body. It is unlikely to join hands with the AIMIM, and is banking on support from the Samajwadi Party and Congress, which have five and three seats respectively. Although the Islam Party has approached the Shiv Sena, the AIMIM has also kept its options open to joining hands with the Congress and Sena. Mufti Mohammed Ismail, sitting AIMIM MLA, said the decision to join hands with the Islam Party would be taken on Thursday. "But I have told my party chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, that we would rather sit in the opposition than compromise on policies," he said. "They have sought our support only to get power." In Kolhapur, the BJP is in a position to garner power in the corporation although it has won only 26 seats in the 81-seat body against the Congress's 34. Its partners, the Sena and Ajit NCP, have 15 and four seats respectively. The Congress has no party on its side. "Since the Shiv Sena is engaged in aggressive negotiations with the BJP for mayoral and other posts, it is unlikely to respond even if the Congress approaches it," said a Kolhapur Congress leader. "As for the NCP, even though it shares a good equation with our leader Satej Patil in Kolhapur, its numbers will not help us reach the halfway mark. The Mahayuti is expected to stake a claim soon." Kolhapur-based political analyst Prakash Pawar said that the BJP's expansionist politics, even at the cost of its ruling partners, was responsible for its allies flexing muscle against it at times....