Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Monday claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will face defeat in the upcoming BMC elections, alleging the party has lost both its organisational strength and public connect, reported the PTI.
Speaking to reporters, Shirsat, who belongs to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has been left without a functioning cadre.
“They neither meet citizens nor support their own workers. Around 55–57 corporators elected earlier are now with us. They are struggling to even find candidates,” he claimed, according to the PTI.
Mumbai Polls a fight for survival
Calling the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election crucial, Shirsat said that it was the last major battle for the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
“This election will determine their very existence. It is hard to imagine where the party will stand after the polls,” he said.
Criticism of Uddhav Thackeray’s priorities
Shirsat accused Uddhav Thackeray of focusing on political posts rather than public issues.
“He was more concerned about securing the Leader of Opposition post during the Maharashtra Assembly Winter Session than raising matters affecting ordinary people,” the minister said.
High ticket demand in Mahayuti
Commenting on local body polls across Maharashtra, Shirsat acknowledged intense competition for tickets within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
“Only one person can be given a ticket, so dissatisfaction is natural. Some leaders may go here and there, and we cannot stop them,” he said, the news agency reported on Monday.
Responding to claims by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar that Eknath Shinde could return as chief minister, Shirsat said the issue was not relevant at present.
“Any future decision will be taken collectively by the NDA and the Mahayuti,” he added, the news agency reported,.
Former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Tejasvee Ghosalkar joins BJP
Meanwhile, Tejasvee Ghosalkar joined the BJP on Monday in the presence of the party’s Mumbai president Ameet Satam and MLC Pravin Darekar.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ghosalkar said she had worked sincerely in the Shiv Sena (UBT) and would now put in even greater effort for her new party.
“I will accept any responsibility assigned to me by the party. There are many things I would like to say, but this is not the right time,” she said, according to the PTI.
She also voiced disappointment over the slow progress of the investigation into the murder of her husband.
“The CBI probe into my husband’s murder is moving at a slow pace. I hope it will be completed at the earliest,” she said.
In September last year, the Bombay High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing lapses and unresolved aspects in the police inquiry.
Ghosalkar served as a corporator of the then undivided Shiv Sena between 2017 and 2022. She later resigned from her positions in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), citing personal reasons.
(with PTI inputs)
