As cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray joined hands for the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Wednesday, Devendra Fadnavis alleged they are creating a hype as if Russia and Ukraine, who have been locked in conflict for nearly four years, 'have finally come along.'
“They are creating a hype as if Russia and Ukraine have finally come along and Zelenskyy and Putin are finally holding talks," said Devendra Fadnavis.
The Maharashtra CM added that the two parties are facing an existential crisis, have time and again changed their roles and earned people's distrust, who have accepted the policy of appeasement and lost their votebank, have come together to save their existence.
"They cannot win elections if they come to save their existence…”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also took a swipe at the cousins as party's national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said two dynasts have come together ‘fearing defeat.’
“Two dynasts have come together. They have forged an alliance between their parties fearing defeat. The people of Mumbai want to choose development under the NDA-BJP,” said Bhandari.
BMC polls
BMC polls are scheduled to be held on 15 January.
Maharashtra State Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on 15 January, with counting set to take place on 16 January.
Although there was no official announcement about seat sharing – Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will reportedly contest 150 seats, while the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will field candidates in the remaining 77 seats. The BMC has 227 seats.
For both party workers – Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray's coming together – means the end of years of political distance between the two cousins. The cadres reportedly hope that after the drubbing in the Panchayat polls the BMC elections will bring better news for the parties.
Why did the cousins split?
In 2006, Raj Thackeray was miffed over his cousin Uddhav's elevation as the undivided Sena’s working president. He walked out of the party and floated the MNS. The much talked about reunion could reshape the landscape of the upcoming BMC and other elections
The Eknath Shinde faction, however, sees the coming together of the Thackeray cousins as nothing more than a photo opportunity that they feel will do little to upset them.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said," I think it is a great photo opportunity and emotional cards will be played. But what will be there for the people? It is good that brothers are coming together. But the question is, why did the separate and divide Marathi-speaking people and take them for granted over the last 20 years? They have not given an answer to this yet?"
