Mumbai: The BJP and Shiv Sena, partners in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, will soon release their joint manifesto for the BMC elections. It will primarily focus on improving medical facilities and strengthening the water management system, BJP leader and IT minister Ashish Shelar said.
Participating in the FPJ Dialogue on Saturday at FPJ House, Shelar, who is also leading the BJP in the BMC elections, asserted that the next Mayor of Mumbai will be a Hindu Marathi. He said the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would also cross 150 seats out of the total 227, adding that it would be “interesting to see how many seats Uddhav and Raj Thackeray win” jointly.
Apart from the manifesto, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam will release a chargesheet against the Shiv Sena’s BMC tenure. “If the Shiv Sena (UBT) is raising questions about us, we too will ask why they gave Mumbai pothole-ridden roads and why a police officer like Sachin Vaze was reinstated,” Shelar said.
Speaking about the joint manifesto, Shelar said the focus would be on health infrastructure, keeping in mind the lessons from the Covid pandemic. “If the city faces another epidemic, what medical facilities should be in place has been the central idea. Discussions were held with the NITI Aayog on this. We have also deliberated extensively on the city’s water management plan, which needs serious attention,” he added.
Shelar criticised the opposition for raising emotional issues rather than focusing on development. “The Thackerays are not ready to talk about core issues such as water leakage, which stands at 16%. Instead, Uddhav Thackeray’s party has stuck to sentimental issues,” he said, adding that the Marathi versus non-Marathi issue no longer resonates, citing the 2014 Assembly elections and the 2017 BMC polls. “The BJP was the single-largest party in 2014 and increased its strength from 32 to 82 seats in the last BMC elections.”
While accusing the Thackerays of adhering to a narrow agenda, Shelar said the BJP stood for development for all communities. Commenting on the “mini manifesto” released by Aaditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray on Friday, Shelar called it “childish”. “They do not understand where the BMC’s revenue comes from or how it is spent,” he said.
He also expressed surprise at their promise to waive property tax for homes up to 700 sq ft. “When this issue was first raised, the Shiv Sena had opposed it. I was the one who demanded it, and their leaders opposed the move,” Shelar claimed. Questioning the feasibility of the proposal, he added, “How will they waive it when the Urban Development Department is headed by Eknath Shinde and the state government is led by Devendra Fadnavis?”
Regarding the decision to grant Occupation Certificates (OCs) to buildings that were earlier denied by the BMC due to violations, Shelar said the move was aimed at protecting residents who were not at fault. On air pollution, Shelar said Mumbai needs a comprehensive and holistic plan. “From construction activities to the burning of garbage and hazardous waste, we need to address all contributing factors,” he added.
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