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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackeray cousins unite after 20 years

Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS to announce tie-up today Mumbai : In a significant development ending six months of speculation and weeks of negotiations, the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - are all set to announce their first formal electoral alliance on Wednesday noon, ahead of the upcoming civic elections across Maharashtra.   The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), headed by Raj Thackeray, are expected to formally declare a...

Thackeray cousins unite after 20 years

Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS to announce tie-up today Mumbai : In a significant development ending six months of speculation and weeks of negotiations, the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - are all set to announce their first formal electoral alliance on Wednesday noon, ahead of the upcoming civic elections across Maharashtra.   The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), headed by Raj Thackeray, are expected to formally declare a seat-sharing arrangement for key civic corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and elsewhere.   These include the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Thane, Mira-Bhayander, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli (all in MMR), plus Pune and Nashik.   “Tomorrow… 12 noon,” Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut posted a date with the media, sharing a photograph of the Thackeray cousins. Later, he later reiterated the same to media-persons.   Dismissing political guesswork, Raut said the seat-sharing talks between the two parties progressed smoothly and were finalised amicably over the past few days.   Among the 29 civic corporations slated to go to the polls next month, the BMC - India’s richest municipal body running the country’s financial capital - is the most coveted trophy.   The undivided Shiv Sena had controlled the BMC for 25 consecutive years, making it a key political prize, eyed by the Thackeray cousins and other major contenders.   At loggerheads for nearly two decades following a bitter political split, Uddhav and Raj were thrown together earlier this year for the common cause of ‘Marathi manoos’.   In July, the Maharashtra government issued two government resolutions (GRs) under the National Education Policy’s three-language formula, proposing Hindi as a compulsory third language in Marathi and English medium primary schools (Classes I to V).   A combined agitation led by the Thackeray cousins - with support from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party(SP) and others - forced the state government to yank off the proposal.   However, the growing proximity between Uddhav and Raj caused discomfort within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies.   The Congress, citing the MNS’ aggressive anti-migrant rhetoric, opposed its induction into the MVA. Failing to block the MNS, last month the Congress decided to go solo in the BMC elections, but kept the door open for tie-ups in other civic bodies.   Congress out, NCP (SP) mum The state Congress has reiterated that it will contest the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently, while hammering out an alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).   “We have made it clear that the Congress will go alone in Mumbai, and that position remains unchanged,” said Maharashtra Congress senior spokesperson Sachin Sawant.   The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), however, has yet to spell out its stand on whether it will align with the Congress or side with the Thackeray cousins in the Mumbai civic polls.   Amid speculation over a possible rapprochement between the NCP (SP) and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP - reportedly to be formally announced this weekend – SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut launched a sharp attack on Ajit Pawar, questioning his status in the ruling MahaYuti alliance.   “Ajit Pawar’s real leaders are BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. If he is contemplating an alliance with the NCP (SP), then he has no moral right to remain in the MahaYuti government,” Raut said.   He further warned that any understanding between the two NCP factions in Pune would have repercussions for opposition unity. “If the NCP (SP) and NCP come together in Pune, then we will not align with Sharad Pawar’s party there,” Raut asserted.

BMC auctioning three land parcels to raise funds, says Aaditya

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Aaditya

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday alleged Mumbai’s civic body had decided to auction three land parcels to raise funds and make up for the “loot” of the metropolis by the Eknath Shinde government.


The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is being run by an administrator now, has decided to auction the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mandi (Market), the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Malabar Hill Receiving Station and the Worli Asphalt Plant, Thackeray pointed out.


“The sale of Mumbai is being done by the Eknath Shinde regime to benefit its favourite builders and contractors,” he alleged.


A criminal investigation will be conducted into the matter after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government comes to power, Thackeray added.


“So on one end, they looted the BMC and Mumbai and gave the money to their favourite contractors. Now, by auctioning these iconic and important land parcels, the BMC will be left without both funds and plots,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former state minister claimed.


When Shiv Sena started controlling the BMC in 1997, its finances were in deficit but by 2022 his party turned around the fiscal health of the civic body, Thackeray said.


Alleging that the Shinde government wants to drive Kolis and fisherfolk out of Mumbai, he said, “We will oppose this. It has to remain and be made into a fish market, and (should be) in the ownership of the BMC.”

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Aaditya puppet for urban naxals: Shelar

Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar has called Uddhav Thackeray’s son and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray as a puppet for urban naxals after former’s comments on the Dharavi Redevelopment project and has also challenged him for a debate.

Ashish Shelar said that the project is a necessity and a priority project, adding that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Congressleader Varsha Gaikwad are peddling lies.

Aaditya Thackeray seems to have become the spokesperson of urban Naxals. Without studying the subject (Dharavi) in detail, Aaditya Thackeray is speaking like an ignorant. I have seen that these people have been trying to set a narrative regarding Dharavi and the re-development work,” Ashish Shelar said.

He challenged Aaditya Thackeray and Varsha Gaikwad in a debate on the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

“Uddhav ji and the people of his party – Aaditya Thackeray and Varsha Gaikwad have started this false narrative regarding Dharavi. I openly challenge Aaditya for a debate. I want to ask him that 70 per cent of the homes in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project will go to Marathi people, Muslims and Dalits. It is their rightful home, so why are they putting roadblocks by creating a false narrative?”

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