Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the ongoing speculation within the Mahayuti for the post of Mumbai mayor, saying that the Shiv Sena leader will have to convince senior BJP leaders to get him appointed as its mayor in BMC.
The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won a landslide victory in the BMC elections, but the decision for the mayor’s post has not been taken yet. The BJP has emerged as the single largest party by winning 89 of the 227 seats and is eyeing the mayor’s post, while Eknath Shinde aims to maintain the legacy of Shiv Sena’s dominance over India’s richest municipal corporation.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Sanjay Raut said, “No one cares about Shinde for the post of mayor. There is nothing more humiliating than people calling themselves Shiv Sena and putting up Balasaheb’s picture, who have to go to Delhi to sit at the feet of Gujarati leaders for the post of Mumbai mayor.”
He further said that the decision regarding this post is still pending as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum 2026.
The Shiv Sena-UBT leader also raised questions on Chief Minister Fadnavis’ visit to Davos and said he made agreements with Indian companies, which he could have done in Mumbai also. He demanded that the travel expenses of leaders going to Davos be made public.
Raut told reporters, “Chief Ministers from across the country are having a picnic in Davos. Chief Minister Fadnavis will focus on the mayor elections only after it is over. From the Indian point of view the Davos conference is ridiculous. Chief Ministers of many states meet there, interact among themselves and Indian industry goes to Davos and signs deals with taxpayers’ money.”
He further said, “They go to Davos every year. They should tell the country and their states how much is spent on their trip. This could have been done while sitting in Mumbai. If the figures of investment and job creation are correct, then I welcome them.”
Meanwhile, when asked about not being able to get in touch with two councilors of the UBT faction in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Raut said that the party has initiated legal action against them.
“Legal action is being taken against him, disqualification proceedings are going on against him, if it is successful then he can go wherever he wants,” he said.
Trouble is increasing for the Uddhav Thackeray faction in Kalyan-Dombivli as Shriknath Shinde said that Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has extended support to the grand alliance.
The Thackeray brothers contested the BMC elections together, but could not defeat the BJP-Sena alliance, which crossed the majority mark of 114 by winning 118 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, while MNS won six seats in Mumbai.
In Kalyan-Dombivli, Mahayuti won 103 out of 122 seats, while BJP got 50 and Shiv Sena 53 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) won 11 seats and MNS won five seats.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, former BMC mayor Kishori Pednekar was elected leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) councilors. He won from Ward No. 199 by defeating Rupal Kusale of Shiv Sena.