Mumbai: Mahayuti is focused on the development of Mumbai, while the Thackeray brothers want to turn the BMC elections into a sentimental issue, said Sanjay Nirupam, spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. He asserted that even if the Thackeray brothers attempt to do so, Mumbai’s next mayor will be from Mahayuti, and will be Marathi.
Speaking at the FPJ Dialogue on Saturday at Free Press House, the former MP said Marathi voters would give a decisive verdict in favour of Mahayuti. “Development should be the main issue in the BMC elections, but the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena cannot seek votes on that basis because they have done nothing during their 25-year tenure,” he said.
Nirupam said that during his 30-month tenure as Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde focused on infrastructure projects such as the Atal Setu, Coastal Road, and Metro Rail. “We will campaign on development, something the Thackerays cannot do. They have already lost the battle, as recent surveys have also predicted,” he added.
According to Nirupam, since the Congress has decided to part ways, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS will not receive Muslim votes. “The Muslim community will not vote for Raj Thackeray, who ran a campaign against loudspeakers, which did not go down well with them. North Indian voters, too, will not favour the brothers,” he claimed.
He further stated that 116 BMC seats have already gone against the Thackeray brothers – 70 dominated by North Indian voters and 46 by Muslim voters. “They can get maximum support only from core Marathi voters, who dominate around 40-45 seats,” Nirupam predicted. He said the leadership of Shinde is gradually being accepted by Marathi voters, adding that Mumbai voters will not fall for a sympathy wave in favour of Uddhav Thackeray.
Referring to banners that appeared after the announcement of an alliance between the Thackeray brothers – such as ‘Batoge toh pitoge’ and ‘Batoge toh baar-baar pitoge’ (Divide and you will be beaten again and again) – Nirupam said these slogans did not go down well with North Indian voters.
“In contrast, Shinde never targets any community. You will never find him speaking against Muslims or North Indians. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he consistently focused on development and effective governance. That is why people voted in large numbers for Mahayuti in the recent municipal council and nagar panchayat elections,” said Nirupam, who represented the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency from 2009 to 2014.
He said Marathi people had accepted late Balasaheb Thackeray as their leader and stood firmly with him. “Now, they have accepted Shinde as their leader. This was evident in the 2024 Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, as well as the recent local body polls,” Nirupam said.
On seat-sharing in the BMC, Nirupam said the role of the “big brother” now lies with the BJP, a reality the Shiv Sena has accepted based on recent electoral results. “The 90 seats allotted to us are neither too few nor comparable to the 50 seats we had earlier heard would be offered,” he said.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
