Fadnavis Highlights Thackeray Rivalry in Final BMC Campaign Push
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a dramatic move on the penultimate day of campaigning for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. At a rally in Shivaji Park, he played old video clips showing Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray criticizing each other. The cousins, who parted ways in 2005, recently united after twenty years for these civic polls.
Fadnavis told the crowd that the videos spoke for themselves. He said there was no need for him to add any further commentary. The Chief Minister used this visual evidence to frame the upcoming election as a desperate struggle for personal survival rather than a contest about Marathi interests.
Campaign Concludes with High Stakes
Campaigning for civic polls across Maharashtra officially ends today. Voting for twenty-nine municipal corporations, including the crucial BMC, is scheduled for January 15. More than fifteen thousand candidates are competing statewide. In Mumbai alone, seventeen hundred candidates are vying for two hundred and twenty-seven wards.
The results will be announced on January 16. The battle to control India's largest and wealthiest civic body, with a budget exceeding seventy-four thousand crore rupees, has reached its peak.
A Battle of Survival, Not Ideology
Fadnavis directly responded to remarks made by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. Thackeray had claimed this election would be the last one for Marathi people. The Chief Minister sharply countered this narrative.
"Your own survival is at stake," Fadnavis declared, addressing the Thackeray cousins. He asserted that the BMC election does not represent a threat to Mumbai or Marathi speakers. Instead, he positioned it as a fight for the political existence of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray themselves.
The Chief Minister leads the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance against the combined forces of the Thackeray cousins' parties.
Questioning Past Governance and Promising Change
Fadnavis launched a strong critique of the undivided Shiv Sena's long rule over the BMC. He questioned what the party's leadership had actually achieved for Marathi speakers during their more than two decades in power.
"Despite holding power in civic governance for so many years, the united Shiv Sena failed to protect the interests of Marathi speakers," Fadnavis stated. He argued that those responsible for this situation had no right to claim guardianship of the community now.
The Chief Minister made a firm commitment to the voters. He vowed to install a Mahayuti mayor in Mumbai and usher in a new era of transparent civic governance. "We will transform the city," he promised, appealing for support for the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance in Thursday's polls.
Addressing Policy Decisions and Development
Fadnavis also addressed specific policy decisions from the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government. He noted that the MVA rule, under Uddhav Thackeray, had decided to make Hindi compulsory from Classes 1 to 12 under the New Education Policy.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the MVA government scrapped the Dharavi redevelopment tender floated by his administration before 2019. Fadnavis explained that when his government returned to power, they reviewed the situation.
"We realised that the tender of the MVA government was not proper," he said. His administration then re-allotted the work to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. In this project, the state government holds a major stake, with the Adani group serving as the developer.
This mega project aims to transform Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, into a modern, planned township. The plan includes providing permanent housing to residents and building new infrastructure and commercial spaces.
Final Day Statements and Broader Context
Fadnavis added that NCP state unit chief Sunil Tatkare would address the media on this final day of campaigning. Throughout his rally, the Chief Minister consistently emphasized that Mumbai remains an inseparable part of Maharashtra. He asserted that no one could dare to break it away.
The political atmosphere in Mumbai is charged as candidates make their last appeals to voters. The outcome of this election will significantly shape the city's governance and development trajectory for years to come.
