Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reportedly moved newly elected Shiv Sena corporators to a hotel in Bandra amid fears of poaching. The move came shortly after a defiant Uddhav Thackeray insisted that it remained his “dream” to see a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected in Mumbai despite losing control of the BMC and that shall come true “if god is willing”.
After 25 years the Thackerays’ lost their old over the BMC – India’s richest civic body – in the recently-held municipal election, bagging 71 seats – 65 for Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS six seats. The BJP won 89, and ally Shinde’s Shiv Sena bagged 29 seats in the 227-member BMC.
Uddhav Thackeray drops cryptic message
Addressing party workers a day after the BJP-Sena combine wrested the Mumbai civic body, Uddhav Thackeray said the BJP wants to mortgage Mumbai and won the polls by betrayal, adding that Marathi manoos will never forgive this sin.
He then added that it’s his dream to install Shiv Sena (UBT)’s mayor in Mumbai, and “if God is willing, this dream will be realised”.
He said the BJP is under impression that it has finished off Shiv Sena (UBT), but that didn’t happen.
“The BJP couldn’t finish off Shiv Sena on the ground,” he said, apparently referring to 65 seats won by Sena (UBT) in the BMC elections.
The BJP used all means but could not buy loyalty, he added.
“They (BJP) have registered victory by betrayal for mortgaging Mumbai. Marathi manoos will never forgive this sin. The battle has not ended, but it has just begun,” Thackeray added.
With 118 seats, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance emerge as the single largest bloc in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. According to official figures, the BJP won 89 seats, while its alliance partner, the Shinde Sena, secured 29 seats. Mahayuti also swept Thane, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad among the total 29 civic bodies that underwent polling.
‘Gen-Z have trust in BJP’s development model’, says PM Modi
The historic victory – once considered impossible to gain support is a significant development in Maharashtra politics, PM Modi said today during a public rally in West Bengal.
“The results of the urban local body elections in Maharashtra were announced yesterday. The BJP has achieved a historic victory in these elections. In particular, the BJP has secured a record victory for the first time in Mumbai, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the world’s largest municipal corporations, which is a significant development in Maharashtra politics,” he said
“This demonstrates the immense trust that the country’s voters, the Gen-Z, have in the BJP’s development model. Even in areas where lies and rumours were spread about the BJP for years, voters are now giving us their blessings. Seeing your enthusiasm today, I am confident that this time the people of Bengal will also ensure a resounding victory for the BJP,” he added. |
