Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 3: Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, accusing him of mismanaging the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during his 25-year rule and prioritizing personal gain over city development.

Speaking at the launch of the MahaYuti’s joint campaign for the BMC elections, Shinde labelled Uddhav Thackeray as the “corruption Samrat,” claiming his administration treated Mumbai as a “hen that lays golden eggs” for contractors while neglecting infrastructure and public welfare. He added that his government focuses on “field-based governance” in contrast to Uddhav’s “Facebook Live and home-bound” leadership style.

Shinde also dismissed Uddhav Thackeray’s warnings about Mumbai being separated from Maharashtra during the elections, asserting, “Mumbai was, is, and will remain with Maharashtra.”

Criticising the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, Shinde described it as a “marriage of convenience” driven by electoral survival rather than conviction. He argued that while the Thackeray cousins campaign on “Marathi Manoos” and “Marathi Pride,” the MahaYuti emphasizes real development as the true measure of civic pride.

He further alleged that under the Thackeray family’s control, the Marathi population was pushed out of central Mumbai to suburbs like Ambernath and Kalyan due to unaffordable housing.

Shinde stressed that the triple-engine government will act as a lifeline for Mumbai, calling on MahaYuti cadres to unite for victory and promising that “the era of emotional politics is over; only the politics of performance will prevail.”

He concluded with a clear message to his rivals, asserting that MahaYuti aims to capture the Thackeray family’s last strongholds in the city, while positioning the Marathi manoos as the future mayor of Mumbai.