New Delhi: ‘Mumbai will get Mahayuti mayor’, says Eknath Shinde, after meeting newly elected corporators
Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday after interacting with newly-elected Shiv Sena members of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who have been shifted to a hotel.
Shinde’s assertion comes amid speculation over the decision to move 29 corporators-designate of his party to a hotel after the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance secured a narrow majority in the recent civic polls.
Taking a dig at Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Shinde said voters had chosen development over emotional issues.
“Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor. Even neighbouring cities like Kalyan-Dombivli will have a Mahayuti mayor,” he told reporters.
Also read: Mumbai mayor suspense on, Eknath Shinde guards his corporators: Why BJP-Sena are worried after majority too | Explained
Rejecting allegations that the corporators were being kept under watch at a luxury hotel, Shinde said the Shiv Sena was fearless.
“The new corporators will get a common platform to interact at the hotel. I wanted to meet them as we are registering the group of 29 corporators with the Konkan divisional commissioner,” he said.
Amid speculation in political circles over Shiv Sena’s stand vis-a-vis the next mayor of Mumbai, party leader and minister Uday Samant said the civic body polls were contested as the Mahayuti alliance.
“The Shiv Sena will not do what the earlier Shiv Sena (headed by Uddhav Thackeray when he allied with the Congress after the 2019 polls) did,” he said.
When asked about demands from within the party for the mayor’s post, Samant said, “Every party wants the main post, and Bal Thackeray’s (birth) centenary year gives that demand a different dimension.”
Also read: Eknath Shinde Sena moves Mumbai corporators to hotel after big BMC win for BJP. What is happening?
In a swipe at the Opposition, Samant said many corporators will become not-reachable, and people will realise which party they belonged to.
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