The deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has clarified that the upcoming Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corpoartion will be fought in an alliance with Shiv Sena.
On Saturday, Fadnavis was speaking at the event in Shanmukhanand hall, welcoming the new Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar.
Ashish Shelar has been appointed as the Mumbai BJP chief for the third time with the sole purpose that BJP wins BMC. It was Ashish Shelar who in 2017 took the BJP in BMC from 32 to 83 Corporator.
Shelar has been repeated again, he has held the post twice earlier. While many claimed it to be a demotion as Shelar was a minister in the Fadnavis government. Fadnavis on the appointment of Shelar said, “Whenever there was a difficult task to be achieved, he would select his best commander, similarly, the Centre selected its best commander for Mumbai BJP chief.”
The BMC elections are to be held soon as the OBC quota reservation issue has been resolved too.
The BJP in 2017 fought the elections for India’s richest Municipal Corporation on its own after the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray snapped ties with BJP.
BJP for the first time in two decades contested independently in 2017 and got the highest ever seats in the corporation.
However, both the parties came together for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, but the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray decided to abandon BJP but went with NCP and Congress and formed MVA. However, this June the government led by Uddhav Thackeray collapsed as Eknath Shinde, along with 40 MLAs broke away to form their own faction of the same party.
On Saturday, Fadnavis said, “The Mayor in the upcoming BMC polls will be from the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, but the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray, which is the true and led by Eknath Shinde.”
This has put to a rest to the speculation that that the BJP will be aligning with Uddhav Thackeray at any cost in the upcoming elections.
But given what Fadnavis said it is clear the future election in Mumbai, BJP will be fighting with Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.
