“Time to show Thackeray his place” declares Shah as the BJP raises its campaign slogan for the Mumbai municipal elections.

Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members to go to work as soon as possible for the upcoming Mumbai local body elections, for which he set a target of “Mission 150 seats,” by reminding his party’s grassroots of the Shiv Sena’s “betrayal” in 2014.

Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, also urged the BJP supporters to fight the civic body election as if it were their final campaign.

Shah accused Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray of betrayal in his speech to party office holders, former corporate officials, and MLAs. He urged the BJP supporters to “teach him a lesson.”

“The BJP’s goal in the BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] elections is to win 150 seats. Uddhav Thackeray needs to learn a lesson for leaving the BJP. After attempting to win support by using the names of Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Modi, he deserted the BJP. Thackeray needs to be put in his place, added Shah.

Despite the Shiv Sena’s five straight terms in power in the BMC since 1997, the last election in 2017 was a tight one, with the Shiv Sena winning 84 seats, only two more than the BJP in the 227-member House.

After the BMC House’s five-year tenure concluded in March, I. S. Chahal was appointed as the civic body of Mumbai’s commissioner.

Shah added that the Shiv Sena’s current state was not brought about by the BJP. “Under Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, the Shiv Sena lost strength and arrived at its current situation as a result of its own choices. Finishing off the anti-Hindu politics in Maharashtra is necessary, he continued.

In a harsh response to Shah’s remarks, the Shiv Sena said that the BJP was determined to “kill out” the regional parties. According to the statement, the party developed in the wake of Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray.

BJP ex-corporator Vinod Mishra confirmed to ThePrint what was noted at the meeting, which took place at Meghdoot bungalow, which is close to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ official residence, that the discussions focused on two issues.

According to the BJP group leader in the BMC, “Amit Shah basically addressed two important themes — one to keep a target of 150-plus in the Mumbai municipal elections, and secondly on how Uddhav Thackeray betrayed the BJP and established the MVA [Maha Vikas Aghadi] government.

“The election date has not yet been set, but we will be prepared assuming the election will take place in December.”

150 Mission
In the meeting, Shah said that Uddhav had betrayed the BJP in 2014 when the Shiv Sena allegedly broke coalition for merely two seats. “Those who abandon someone in politics never succeed. They need to be disciplined. Mumbai politics should be dominated by the BJP. Anything is acceptable in politics, but betrayal is never acceptable.

The Union home minister emphasised that Fadnavis would continue to serve as chief minister following the 2019 assembly elections and that he had never committed to hand the chief minister’s office over to the Sena.

Shah had earlier in the day visited Mumbai’s well-known Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh pandal. He hadn’t been to Maharashtra since the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction took power in the state’s government in July.

According to Mishra, both Shah and Fadnavis reassured the party’s office holders that the original Shiv Sena, or the Eknath Shinde faction, now supports the party.

“With the Shinde camp, we will contest the election. And those who share Balasaheb Thackeray’s philosophical viewpoints. We shall stand behind them in battle. He stated that the decision on the poll technique will be made at a later meeting of the core committee, after which the message would be sent to workers at the booth level.

Later, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told the reporters that the party has “extremely strong” ties to the BMC.

“Liars are in the character of the BJP. He [Shah] was in Haryana when the coalition was shattered. Why didn’t he arrive sooner? He arrived six months later. By gripping Balasaheb’s finger, you have developed in the state. The Shiv Sena’s chief spokesperson claimed that the BJP is nothing more than a power-hungry organisation that seeks to eliminate the regional parties.

Manisha Kayande, a different Shiv Sena spokesperson, claimed that Shah’s tone was inappropriate for a leader of his rank. “It was understood if any BJP member had used such language. However, the Union home minister finds it inappropriate to use language like “revenge.” The only time the BJP is active is during elections. When it comes to resolving local issues, the Shiv Sena is on the scene solving people’s day-to-day problems,” she added.

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