Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has reportedly moved its corporators in Mumbai to a five-star hotel, a day after it emerged as the kingmaker in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Sources have said that Shinde Sena’s 29 corporators are in a five-star hotel to avoid poaching ahead of the election for the post of Mayor, especially when the numbers are close.
In a statement that sparked significant political curiosity, Thackeray, on Saturday, touched upon the upcoming election for the Mayor of Mumbai.
Despite the BJP-led alliance holding a slim majority in the recently released BMC poll results, Thackeray dropped a subtle hint about a potential shift in power.
"It is our (Shiv Sena-UBT's) dream that our Mayor should be installed. If it is in God's mind, then even that will happen," he said suggestively.
The Shiv Sena-UBT has won 65 seats and six seats by the MNS while Congress won 24 seats, MNS 8, NCP-SP one and Samajwadi Party two.
As far as Mahayuti is concerned, BJP bagged 89 seats, Shiv Sena 29 seats and NCP 3 seats.
Thackeray has not divulged further details reiterating that the Shiv Sena-UBT had aimed to retain power and Mayoral post of Mumbai's civic body.
Thackeray's statement comes when the BJP and Shiv Sena will soon meet to discuss their joint strategy for the Mayoral election.
BJP, which has emerged as the single largest party by winning 89 seats, is the claimant for the Mayoral post with the support of ally Shiv Sena which has bagged 29 seats. Together, both the parties have crossed the halfway figure of 114 seats in the 227-member BMC.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have repeatedly declared that the 'Marathi Manoos' will become the BMC Mayor.
Party insiders said that they will discuss about sharing the Mayoral post of Mumbai between two of them for two-and-a-half years each.
The discussion may take place before the Chief Minister Fadnavis leaves for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum summit.
The elections may take place by the end of January as the BMC Commissioner is expected to present the annual budget before February 5.
Thackeray in his address to the newly elected party Corporators alleged that the Mahayuti alliance utilised every possible tactic -- "Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed" (persuasion, wealth, punishment, and division) -- and misused government machinery to secure their win.
He emphasised that while "traitors" (referring to the Shinde faction) left the party, they could not buy the loyalty of the party's core workers.
"I bow before you all. Our responsibility has now increased," he added.
On 'Gifting' Mumbai to major corporate houses, Thackeray launched a stinging attack on the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance's motives, claiming that their victory was achieved solely to "mortgage Mumbai" to corporate interests.
He warned that the Marathi people would never forgive this "sin".