Shiv Sena-UBT Points Finger at Congress for Chandrapur Mayor Election Debacle
Under intense scrutiny for allegedly assisting its archrival BJP in securing the Chandrapur mayor's position, a beleaguered Shiv Sena-UBT faction on Friday aggressively promoted the narrative that internal strife within the Congress party was the primary cause of the electoral setback. The party's spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut, asserted that party chief Uddhav Thackeray was not involved in the decision-making process, placing responsibility squarely on the local Chandrapur unit of Sena-UBT.
Allegations of Financial Inducements Surface
The controversy erupted after BJP, which finished as the second-largest party in the Chandrapur civic polls, clinched the mayor's election largely due to the support of six Sena-UBT corporators. This development prompted Sandeep Deshpande, a leader from ally Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, to accuse the UBT corporators of accepting clandestine payments of Rs 1 crore each for their votes.
Responding to these allegations, Sanjay Raut challenged the claims with a rhetorical question during a press interaction. "Did they come and count the money?" he queried. "Did BJP hand over the money and provide a 20% commission for cash distribution? I can guarantee that Uddhav ji had no involvement in the Chandrapur matter. If local leaders made a decision without informing the party leadership, our party chief will undoubtedly take a firm stance. No one within the party endorses this decision, and no one will support these developments. The actions in Chandrapur were undertaken by local individuals," Raut emphasized.
Congress Internal Discord Highlighted as Root Cause
Raut further elaborated that the core issue originated from internal conflicts within the Congress party. He stated, "I am consistently stating that due to internal discord in Congress, certain events unfolded abruptly. I am specifically referring to Chandrapur, not the entire state of Maharashtra. The dispute within the Chandrapur Congress unit escalated to Delhi and remained unresolved. The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress leadership failed to mediate a solution. Rather than attributing blame to us, Congress should first acknowledge its responsibility. The dispute was internal to their party, and they must accept accountability."
The Sena-UBT corporators from Chandrapur are anticipated to visit Matoshree, the party headquarters, within the next couple of days. Raut hinted at impending disciplinary measures, declaring, "Wait and watch, we will take action."
Political Maneuvering and Future Implications
As the Sena-UBT top leadership appears to be distancing itself from the controversy, the BJP, which narrowly won the mayor's post by a single vote on Tuesday, may face instability. The saffron party must navigate not only external pressures but also internal rivalries. Two factions within the BJP are aligned with Ballarpur MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar and Chandrapur MLA Kishore Jorgewar, respectively. Notably, corporators from the Jorgewar camp abstained from the ceremony celebrating the mayor's inaugural day, signaling open dissent.
Moving forward, BJP could rely on external support while remaining vigilant, or Congress factions led by MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Dhanorkar might collaborate with Sena-UBT to gain control of the civic body. Either scenario could undermine Mungantiwar's brief political resurgence, while Jorgewar stands to benefit by maintaining a neutral position.
Key Statements from Local Leaders
Sandeep Girhe, President of Shiv Sena UBT (Chandrapur): "I have not received any official summons from the party but have observed statements from our leadership questioning the local alliance. We will travel to Mumbai to consult with party leaders after Mahashivratri. Additionally, independent candidate Prashant Danao, who was elected as deputy mayor, has officially joined UBT, increasing our strength to seven corporators."
Sudhir Mungantiwar, BJP MLA from Ballarpur: "MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande is a personal friend, but such allegations frequently emerge when a party loses power and should not be taken at face value. The mayor's position will rotate after 15 months; does that imply BJP corporators will be bribed? That is implausible. Accusations of cash-for-votes are baseless and driven by political motives."
