The day after a decisive Mahayuti victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there is a tussle between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena over the prized post of the Mayor.Although the BJP emerged as the single largest party, it fell short of a majority on its own in the BMC and the Shinde Sena appears reluctant to hand over the Mayor’s post to the BJP on a platter.An indication of the contest within was evident Saturday when Shinde skipped a Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In the past, Shinde has given Cabinet meetings a miss to subtly convey his displeasure with decisions taken by the Fadnavis-led government.Some leaders see these developments as a signal of the Sena asserting its political importance and its unwillingness to compromise on the Mayor’s post. In another dramatic move, Shinde also shifted 29 newly elected corporators to a five-star hotel in the city, a step party leaders described as a precaution against poaching by rival parties.Known for driving hard bargains, the BJP’s top leadership has indicated that a decision on the Mayor’s post is unlikely to be taken this week.With 89 seats in the BMC House of 227, BJP has emerged as the single largest party. But it will have to depend on partner Sena’s 29 seats to go past the halfway mark of 114.Also Read | Uddhav alleges BJP bid to engineer defections in Shinde-led Sena for BMC mayor’s postInsiders also indicated that intervention from the Centre cannot be ruled out. A Mahayuti Mayor in the BMC had been the BJP’s mission ever since the Sena faction under Uddhav Thackeray’ broke ties and joined hands with the Congress-NCP to form the MVA government post the 2019 Assembly elections. This BMC election brought Thackeray’s 25-year-long uninterrupted rule to an end.Story continues below this adAmid the tussle within, Fadnavis said Saturday, “The Mumbai Mayor will be from the Mahayuti. The Mayor will be a Hindu and Marathi.”Dismissing reports of the differences within the alliance over who should get the Mayor post, he said, “We will sit together and take all the decisions amicably. All these questions regarding who will be the Mayor and for how many years will be decided by me and Shinde together. There is no dispute.”On Shinde moving his party’s elected members to a hotel for the next few days, Fadnavis said, “It is likely Shinde must have convened a meeting to address the newly elected members.” Even the BJP, he said, had convened a meeting of its newly elected members.Aware that their support is key to control of the BMC, Sena leaders said, “We will not settle for anything less. We will negotiate for the post of Mayor and the important Statutory Standing Committee which controls the finances of the BMC.”Story continues below this adAlso Read | 1 party, half the power: BJP now holds nearly 50% of Maharashtra’s corporator seatsSources in the CMO said Fadnavis was headed to the World Economic Forum gathering at Davos from January 17 to 24. “After his return, he will hold an official meeting with Shinde,” the sources said, adding that “the process of candidates via lottery for the BMC Mayor will also be complete… and until then it is futile to discuss the mayorship”.The Mayor’s post is reserved on a rotational basis for the general category, Scheduled Castes, OBCs and women.The state Urban Development Department conducts a lottery to decide the category. The formal process should start next week.A senior BJP functionary said, “The preliminary talks within the organisation indicate that the BJP with 89 corporators will not let go of administrative control of the BMC. It will not compromise on the Standing Committee chairman. Transparency and accountability is the key factor in civic body governance promised to the people by Fadnavis.”Story continues below this adAnother BJP leader said, “While the party may share its space with Shiv Sena for the Mayor post, two important committees that are not negotiable are the Standing Committee and Improvements Committee.”Other committees include the BEST Committee, Education Committee, Special Committees (Works, Health, Markets and Garden), Law, Revenue Generation Committee, Women and Child Welfare.