“Present me one photograph the place the BJP has accomplished any venture. In truth, the BJP had boycotted the bhoomi pujan of the Coastal Street as a result of Uddhav Thackeray did it. He did it as a result of it was our venture,” stated Aaditya. 

“The one factor that the BJP has accomplished is lower ribbons of those tasks due to their good luck as they’d toppled our authorities,” he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Aaditya’s claims at a rally on Wednesday.

“Some persons are right here to say that they made infrastructure tasks in Mumbai. However ye public hai sab janti hai (the general public is aware of every little thing). Even in case you get up a Mumbaikar within the useless of the night time, and ask them who made the Coastal Street, BDD chawl redevelopment, Metro line, they may say it’s Mahayuti that did it,” he stated.

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Additionally Learn: In Saamana interview, Thackeray cousins warn of a ‘North Indian mayor’ & a ‘helpless Marathi manoos’

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Do-or-die state of affairs

The much-awaited Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) elections might be held on 15 January, with counting the subsequent day. All events are locked in an intense battle for the polls being held after three years, because the BMC is the richest civic physique in India, with a finances of over Rs 74,000 crore, and whoever controls it has monumental political and monetary clout.

For the final 25 years, the BMC was dominated by the undivided Shiv Sena, together with the BJP, apart from the final time period from 2017 to 2022, when the BJP and Shiv Sena fought individually. The BJP gained 82 seats, and Sena gained 84 in a 227-seat company. Nevertheless, with the Shiv Sena now divided, the BJP sees an excellent likelihood of controlling the BMC.

This 12 months, the competition has taken on new dimensions. The principal contenders are the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Eknath Shinde-led breakaway Sena faction and the BJP, and a re-energised opposition bloc led by Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

A diminished pressure within the metropolis, the Thackerays are campaigning on a shared ‘Marathi manoos’ plank to consolidate regional assist. The BMC polls might be a vital take a look at for the Thackeray legacy in Mumbai. 

Aaditya stated they had been combating the election to “save Mumbai” as this was a “do-or-die state of affairs” for town with many essential tasks being relocated to Gujarat for the reason that BJP got here to energy.

“By way of the menace that Marathi manoos faces, take a look at the ten years of the BJP in Maharashtra. Large industries despatched away to Gujarat (in a) bullet practice, Gujarat will get extra stations. ‘Adanification’ of Dharavi, 1,600 acres of Mumbai, with out paying taxes or with out giving premiums or giving rightful properties to folks residing there. Why? As a result of the BJP goes with the ideology that they need Mumbai to go to Gujarat and never with Maharashtra,” he stated.

“Mumbai got here to Maharashtra after a battle; it wasn’t given to Maharashtra,” he added.

Aaditya was referring to tasks just like the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor venture, which was initially deliberate in Maharashtra however was shifted to Gujarat in September 2022. A 12 months later, Foxconn pulled out of the three way partnership with Vedanta.

Equally, Maharashtra had despatched a proposal to arrange the Bulk Drug Park venture, initiated by the Central authorities in 2020, in Raigad, however Gujarat was chosen as a substitute.

They weren’t the one tasks that Maharashtra misplaced to Gujarat. The Tata-Airbus venture was deliberate in Nagpur, however in October 2024, it was shifted to Gujarat. A Rs 8,000-crore photo voltaic panel venture deliberate for Nagpur was additionally shifted to Gujarat final 12 months.

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Additionally Learn: Anatomy of Thackeray reunion: Household vibes, benefit Shinde & a Putin-Zelenskyy quip from Fadnavis

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Saving Mumbai’s character

Aaditya Thackeray stated the battle on this election was about showcasing their social gathering’s work and saving the character of Mumbai.

He equated this battle to the Samyukta Maharashtra motion of the Fifties when Marathi manoos got here collectively in a bid to make Mumbai a part of Maharashtra. 

As an instance his level, he cited examples of how Marathi folks had been refused properties for being “Marathi” and ridiculed for consuming non-vegetarian meals in some components of town.

He sais that for a few years, town stood for co-existence however that was underneath menace underneath BJP rule.

“Many Hindi-speaking folks have lived fortunately right here for years. They arrive following their desires. That is what we are saying. When the BJP says we polarise Marathis and non-Marathis, our subject is about having equal rights, equal freedom, equal voice for Marathis and everybody else who comes right here,” he stated.

Thackeray additionally stated that many minorities who’ve lived peacefully within the metropolis for a few years belief the “Thackeray title”.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), for the reason that formation of the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA), has added minority voters into its fold. Thackeray stated that the minorities belief the Thackerays as a result of Uddhav Thackeray, as chief minister, didn’t differentiate between any particular person’s caste, creed, or faith.  

Aaditya additionally dismissed the Congress social gathering’s argument that the Sena (UBT) acquired minority votes due to the Congress.

“If the Congress feels that the minorities got here to us due to them, good luck to their considering. Minorities—particularly, the Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists—for us, they’re all residents of India. Throughout our rule within the BMC and the state, we’ve given water, electrical energy and BEST buses, no matter their faith. There was completely no discrimination,” he stated.

“Throughout COVID, we saved tens of millions of lives with out seeing their caste, creed, faith, or gender. We noticed them purely as residents of Maharashtra and supplied them with water meters. Discrimination doesn’t come from us. We’re simply combating to avoid wasting our ‘asmita’. We’ve been coexisting for the final 50-60 yrs,” he added.

Why Mumbai is underneath menace

Thackeray stated the Shiv Sena was capable of preserve its vote share of over 16 per cent within the Lok Sabha and meeting elections regardless of a cut up within the Shiv Sena as a result of minority communities voted overwhelmingly for the social gathering. 

The rationale, in response to him, was that the MVA was collectively then, and the Congress was part of the alliance. Nevertheless, within the BMC polls, the Congress is combating individually.

He added that if the Shiva Sena (UBT) got here to energy, it could preserve the “character” of Mumbai.

“Maintaining the social cloth intact with out letting it get torn is what’s the major character of town,” stated Aaditya. 

However he additionally stated that since Uddhav and Raj are artists by occupation and nature, additionally they need to see Mumbai with a selected aesthetic sensibility.

“There must be a personality to Mumbai. If you design streets, footpaths, and site visitors islands, there must be some sense to it. Town must be a melting pot of ideologies, political, social, cultural concepts, and entrepreneurial concepts; that noise is town,” stated Aaditya.

Bond of the Thackeray household

Aaditya additionally emphasised that his prolonged household had come collectively after 20 years, and no matter the outcomes, that bond would endure.

A 12 months in the past, at a podcast with actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray stated he was able to put aside variations along with his then estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray for Mumbai’s sake. 

This assertion was reciprocated virtually instantly by Uddhav Thackeray, sparking discuss concerning the a reconciliation between the cousins.

After that, they shared a public stage for the primary time in 20 years over the Marathi language subject and alleged imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra colleges. Later, the household saved on assembly at weddings, household features, birthdays, and festivals.

The bond began rising, as was seen in movies and images shared by the household.

“There isn’t a desperation in two brothers coming collectively. We’ve realised that there was a vacuum in our lives that’s getting crammed now. The bonding may be very sturdy, and it’s a good feeling. We will certainly keep collectively,” Aaditya stated. 

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)

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