A major political storm has erupted in Navi Mumbai ahead of the crucial January 15 civic elections, with BJP minister Ganesh Naik launching a severe attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Naik accused Shinde of systematically draining the treasury of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) over the last five years.
Serious Allegations of Financial Drain
On Friday, Ganesh Naik made explosive claims regarding the state of the city's finances. He alleged that the civic coffers, which held a robust Rs 3,000 crore five years ago, have been reduced to a mere Rs 800 crore. Naik directly targeted Eknath Shinde in his capacity as the state's Urban Development Minister, holding him accountable for the financial health of civic bodies.
Naik argued that the city's finances weakened significantly following the expiry of the last elected municipal house. He emphasized that this period was marked by the absence of an elected body and the heavy spending pressures during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Shinde and his team looted the NMMC coffer," Naik alleged, implying a direct responsibility for the alleged mismanagement.
Shinde's Sharp Counter-Attack and Political blame Game
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back strongly, turning the tables on the accuser. He questioned how opposition leaders could be blamed for alleged wrongdoing when, according to him, the Naik group had held considerable influence over the corporation for many years. Shinde maintained that those who were in power since the corporation's early days were in a better position to explain where the public money went.
Shinde rejected the idea that his party, which he described as being largely in the opposition at the local level in Navi Mumbai, could be responsible for emptying the civic treasury. "My party was never in power and those who were for decades did little for the city," Shinde stated, pointing a finger at Naik's long political tenure in the region.
Campaign Tactics and Demands for Probe
The war of words extended to campaign strategies as well. Naik claimed that Shiv Sena workers had begun distributing money to woo voters but insisted that the citizens of Navi Mumbai would not be swayed by such tactics. Shinde dismissed this charge, countering that Naik's camp was more familiar with such methods. He issued a sharp warning, saying, "those living in a glass house should not throw stones."
Amidst this heated exchange, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule stepped in, demanding a thorough investigation by both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the corruption charges levelled by BJP and Shiv Sena leaders against each other. This demand for a central agency probe adds a new layer of seriousness to the pre-election accusations.
Confident of his party's prospects, Shinde claimed that the next mayor of Navi Mumbai would be from the Shiv Sena. He declared that the dominance of one person in the city was over, asserting that the people had seen the performance of the family that ruled it for decades. This direct remark was seen as a clear reference to the Naik family's longstanding political hold in the area.
The political clash sets the stage for a highly charged election for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, with financial governance and accountability becoming the central theme of the debate.
