A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused its ally Shiv Sena of steamrolling 231 proposals in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) general body meeting without discussion, the Sena on Saturday launched a sharp counterattack, demanding the suspension of BJP corporators for allegedly disrupting House proceedings and attempting to “gherao” Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar.
Sena Corporator Seeks Action Against BJP Members
Shiv Sena corporator Manoj Shinde issued a statement accusing BJP members of deliberately creating chaos despite prior consensus reached during an all-party meeting before the session. He asserted that the Mayor had officially declared the meeting concluded on Friday, making the BJP’s protest and sloganeering a violation of House decorum.
“How can corporators disobey the Mayor’s ruling? I have sought suspension of BJP corporators for rushing towards the Mayor’s dais,” Shinde said. He added that he would also urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan to intervene and counsel party corporators over their conduct.
Defense of Proposal Clearance
Defending the clearance of proposals, Shinde stated that the resolutions were passed with support from all parties except the BJP. He accused the ally of attempting to stall public welfare decisions. Senior Sena leader and former Mayor Meenakshi Shinde also raised questions over BJP conduct, noting that the meeting schedule was unanimously finalized in the presence of all-party group leaders before the meeting.
Widening Cracks in Ruling Alliance
The public sparring further exposed widening cracks within the ruling alliance in Thane, where the BJP has increasingly intensified its attacks on the Sena-led civic administration. BJP corporator Mrunal Pendse recently claimed that her party repeatedly sought answers over civic expenditure of state funds during the past three years but faced resistance instead.
