'Beginning of historic defeat': BJP on MNS-Shiv Sena(UBT) alliance

Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday claimed that the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections will not be the beginning of a historical era but will be the beginning of a historical defeat for them. 

The BJP said that Raj Thackeray should not forget that the history of both parties was divided when Uddhav Thackeray chode to side with Congress and Sharad Pawar. By going with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray will also face nothing but defeat, it added.

Maharashtra Information Technology Minister and BJP in charge of BMC elections, Ashish Shelar, in a poetic post on X, criticised the alliance between the Thackeray cousins, alleging that they have joined hands to loot the BMC treasury.

“...Won’t you all come together to loot the BMC treasury? Mumbaikars will ask you in every nook and corner... Why were you so different back then? Why exactly are you throwing your arms around each other’s necks today?” he asked.

State BJP media in charge Navnath Ban further alleged that both Shiv Sena(UBT) and MNS have come together for power and not for Mumbai or for Mumbaikars. “Both these parties do not have a development agenda; these two parties have come together only keeping the power calculation in mind. The coming together of these two parties is not a sign of strength but an admission of defeat for both of them,” he said.

“When Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister, he stopped projects that were beneficial to the common Mumbaikars, like Metro and Coastal Road. He should apologise to Mumbaikars for this. Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray should also accept the responsibility for making houses in BDD chawls expensive,” said Ban.

He ridiculed Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut for submitting their pledges for the BMC elections, saying that the politics of beatings, extortion and fear is the identity of Shiv Sena(UBT) and MNS.

“Balasaheb Thackeray was a brand in every sense. But Uddhav Thackeray abandoned his ideas and forgot Hindutva. BJP will get the blessings of venerable Balasaheb for not compromising with the ideas of Hindutva. Uddhav Thackeray has decided to accept Rashid Mamu of Sambhajinagar, who pelted stones at Shiv Sainiks from a mosque. This shows that Uddhav Thackeray has a crush on Mamu, not on Marathi people,” said Ban. He targeted Uddhav Thackeray, asking him whether he had thought about the pain Balasaheb Thackeray must have felt in his soul due to his joining hands with Rashid Mamu for power.

--IANS

sj/dpb