“Present me one image the place the BJP has undertaken some venture, and in reality, the BJP had boycotted that venture. earth worship Coastal Street as a result of Uddhav Thackeray did it. He did it as a result of it was our venture,” Aaditya mentioned.
“The one factor the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering has completed is reduce the ribbon on these tasks, citing its success in toppling the federal government,” he added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Aaditya’s claims at a rally on Wednesday.
“Some individuals come right here to say they’ve completed infrastructure tasks in Mumbai. However that is public so everybody is aware of. (The individuals know every little thing). “When you get up a Mumbaikar in the midst of the night time and ask who constructed the coastal highway, the BDD Chawl redevelopment and the metro line, they may say that Mahayuti constructed it,” he mentioned.
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do-or-die state of affairs
The much-awaited Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) elections might be held on January 15 and votes might be counted the following day. The BMC is India’s richest civic physique with a funds of greater than Rs 74,000 crore, and whoever controls it has huge political and monetary affect, with all political events locked in a fierce battle over the polls, which might be held for the primary time in three years.
For the previous 25 years, the BMC has been dominated together with the BJP by the undivided Shiv Sena, aside from the final time period from 2017 to 2022, when the BJP and Shiv Sena fought individually. Of the 227 seats, the BJP received 82 seats and the Sena received 84. Nevertheless, with the Shiv Sena presently break up, the BJP sees a great likelihood of controlling the BMC.
This 12 months, the competition has taken on a brand new dimension. The principle candidates are the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, made up of Eknath Shinde’s breakaway Sena faction and the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering, and a revitalized opposition coalition led by Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
The Thackerays, whose energy within the metropolis has weakened, are campaigning on a shared plan of “Marathi Manus” to consolidate assist within the area. BMC ballot Will probably be a big check for Thackeray’s legacy in Mumbai.
Aditya mentioned he was combating the election to “save Mumbai” as many necessary tasks have been shifted to Gujarat for the reason that Bharatiya Janata Social gathering got here to energy and it is a “life and loss of life matter” for the town.
“Relating to the Marathi risk, Manus Guys, have a look at the ten years of Bharatiya Janata Social gathering in Maharashtra.. Large industries might be despatched to Gujarat by bullet trains and the variety of stations in Gujarat will enhance. “Islamizing” 1,600 acres of Dharavi in Mumbai with out paying taxes, with out paying insurance coverage premiums, and with out giving reputable housing to the individuals residing there. why? As a result of the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering is aligned with the ideology that it desires Mumbai to go to Gujarat and never Maharashtra,” he mentioned.
“Mumbai got here to Maharashtra after the battle. It was not given to Maharashtra,” he added.
Aditya was referring to tasks just like the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor venture, which was initially deliberate in Maharashtra however was moved to Gujarat in September 2022. A 12 months later, Foxconn exited the three way partnership with Vedanta.
Equally, Maharashtra had despatched a proposal to arrange a bulk drug park venture in Raigad, which was initiated by the central authorities in 2020, however Gujarat was chosen as an alternative.
These weren’t the one tasks wherein Maharashtra misplaced out to Gujarat. The Tata-Airbus venture was deliberate in Nagpur however was shifted to Gujarat in October 2024. An Rs 8,000-crore photo voltaic panel venture deliberate in Nagpur was additionally transferred to Gujarat final 12 months.
Additionally learn: Anatomy of a Thackeray reunion: Household environment, Shinde’s benefit and Fadnavis’ Putin-Zelensky cynicism
Saving Mumbai’s individuality
Aaditya Thackeray mentioned the struggle on this election is to flaunt the work of his celebration and save the character of Mumbai.
He equated the struggle with the Samyukta Maharashtra motion of the Fifties, when Marathi Manu banded collectively to make Mumbai a part of the state of Maharashtra.
As an example his level, he cited examples of Marathis being refused house for being ‘Marathi’ and ridiculed for consuming non-vegetarian meals in some areas of the town.
He mentioned the town had been striving for coexistence for a few years, however that was beneath risk beneath the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering’s rule.
“Many Hindi-speaking individuals have been residing fortunately right here for years. They arrive chasing their desires. That is what we are saying. After we say that the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering is polarizing Marathis and non-Marathis, Our theme is to provide Marathis and everybody who comes right here equal rights, equal freedoms and equal voice,” he mentioned.
Mr. Thackeray additionally mentioned that many minorities who’ve been residing peacefully within the metropolis for a few years think about the “Thackeray identify”.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been bringing minority voters into the celebration for the reason that formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Mr. Thackeray mentioned minorities think about Mr. Uddhav Thackeray as he doesn’t discriminate between caste, creed or faith of any particular person because the Chief Minister.
Mr. Aditya additionally dismissed the Congress celebration’s declare that the Sena (UBT) obtained a minority vote due to the Congress.
“If the Congress feels that the minorities have come to us due to them, they’re fortunate of their pondering. The minorities – Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists – are all Indian residents to us. Throughout the BMC and state rule, now we have offered water, electrical energy and one of the best buses, irrespective of faith. There was no discrimination in any respect,” he mentioned.
“Throughout COVID-19, we saved thousands and thousands of lives with out their caste, creed, faith or gender. We noticed them purely as residents of Maharashtra and offered them with water meters. Discrimination doesn’t come from us. We’re simply combating to save lots of ‘Asmita’. We now have coexisted for the previous 50-60 years,” he added.
Why Mumbai is beneath risk
Mr. Thackeray mentioned that regardless of the Shiv Sena’s break up, it was in a position to preserve a vote share of over 16 per cent within the Lok Sabha and meeting elections as a result of minority communities overwhelmingly voted for the celebration.
Based on him, this was as a result of the MVA was fashioned on the time and Congress was additionally a part of the alliance. Nevertheless, within the BMC polls, the Congress is combating individually.
He added that if Shiva Sena (UBT) involves energy, it’ll preserve Mumbai’s “character”.
“Retaining the social cloth intact quite than tearing it aside is the town’s biggest function,” Aditya mentioned.
However he additionally mentioned that since Uddhav and Raj are artists by career and nature, they need to see Mumbai with a particular aesthetic sensibility.
“Mumbai has to have a persona. While you design streets, sidewalks, visitors islands, it has to have some that means. A metropolis needs to be a melting pot of ideology, political, social, cultural concepts, entrepreneurial concepts. That noise is what the town is,” Aditya mentioned.
Ties of the Thackeray household
Aditya additionally pressured that the prolonged household has come collectively after 20 years and their bond will proceed regardless of the result.
A 12 months in the past, in a podcast with actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray mentioned he was able to put apart his variations together with his then estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray for the sake of Mumbai.
Uddhav Thackeray responded virtually instantly to this assertion, sparking speak of reconciliation between the cousins.
He then appeared publicly for the primary time in 20 years, relating to the Marathi language challenge and allegations of obligatory Hindi language in colleges in Maharashtra. After that, the household continued to assemble for weddings, household occasions, birthdays, and festivals.
Their bond started to develop, as evidenced by the movies and photographs the household shared.
“There is no such thing as a despair that the 2 brothers might be collectively. We realized that there was a void in our lives, which is now being stuffed. The bond could be very robust and it feels superb. We’re undoubtedly on this collectively,” Aaditya mentioned.
(Edited by Sague Kitty)
Additionally learn: Thackeray cousins reunite: From Prabodinkar to Aaditya, the household that formed Maharashtra politics
