Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde met the party’s newly elected councilors at a hotel in Mumbai on Sunday and said the BMC mayor will be from the Mahayuti community. Hotel politics has once again come into focus amid a possible tussle for the post of mayor in BMC in Mumbai, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) accusing Eknath Shinde of converting the hotel into a “jail”.
In Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member assembly. Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, won 29 seats. Speaking to reporters after his meeting with councilors in Mumbai, Shinde said voters rejected “anti-development” ideas while voting for the alliance.
“I told them (editors) about the short-term, medium-term and long-term development plans to be implemented in a phased manner. The state government will also provide assistance,” he said.
There should be a feeling that our ward should be good. They should focus on the overall development of their respective wards.”After BJP, Shiv Sena has become the second largest party in a short time. “We are carrying forward the ideas of Balasaheb Thackeray. The people of Mumbai have embraced development and rejected anti-development ideas. The people of Mumbai have shown their confidence,” he further said.
When asked about the post of mayor, Shinde said, “Mayors in Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli and other places will be from Mahayuti lineage.”
This morning, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded the “release” of Mumbai councilors lodged in the “Taj Hotel Jail” and said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should take action. Raut said, “What stand Eknath Shinde stands on is a personal matter of him and his party. His party is an ally of the BJP. Amit Shah is their leader. They will go to him and put forward their demands, but as per my knowledge, Fadnavis is not his Will not listen.”
Raut said Shinde, despite holding a powerful position as Deputy Chief Minister, was apprehensive that his councilors would switch sides, and described the entire situation as “ridiculous”.
Raut said, “They have kept their councilors imprisoned. They broke the MLAs, so now they have to keep the councilors also imprisoned. They had taken the MLAs to Surat. Eknath Shinde himself is the Deputy Chief Minister, yet he is afraid that his councilors will run away, what a ridiculous situation this is…”.
After BJP emerged as the largest party in BMC in Maharashtra, the opposition targeted Shinde. Congress MP Imran Masood took a jibe at him and said, “Eknath Shinde will now have to struggle to save his political existence, whether he survives or not. The BJP works to defeat all its allies… Now he should give up his attachment to power and save his existence.”
While Shiv Sena (UBT), contesting the elections in alliance with MNS, won 65 seats, getting more mandate than the Shinde faction, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the people of Mumbai have “shown a mirror” to them and the decision has made it clear which faction represents the “real Shiv Sena”.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said the opposition should accept the results and adjust to a new political reality in Maharashtra.
Speaking to ANI, Somaiya said, “The opposition should now accept the political reality that they have lost.”
Bihar minister Dilip Jaiswal said the BJP and its allies will work together to run local bodies and take the BMC forward. Speaking to ANI in Patna, Jaiswal said, “There Mahayuti and BJP contested the elections together. The public has given majority to both the parties in the alliance. So, everyone there will together run the local bodies and take the BMC forward.” Even actor Govinda, who had actively campaigned for the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, lauded the results.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has recorded its most impressive performance yet in the municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, winning 125 councilor seats and significantly expanding its presence in the urban centers of the state. Party spokesperson Waris Pathan described it as “the result of collective teamwork”.
Taking a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT), Pathan said, “The people’s mandate is the befitting answer for them. They should look within themselves and see why they are losing. They remained in power for 30 years, looted public money, but what did they do for the people of Mumbai? Now the public will be with the one who will work for their development.”
Elections for 29 municipal corporations were held in Maharashtra on 15 January, counting of votes took place on 16 January. The Mahayuti Party won a landslide victory in most municipal elections, including Mumbai, where it defeated the Thackeray brothers; Won by defeating NCP factions in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad even though both factions had united to contest the elections; The party also won in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali and Ulhasnagar. In Latur, Congress won by winning 43 seats, while Shiv Sena-UBT and Congress alliance won the Parbhani seat.
