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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Strange bedfellows

BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there.   The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the...

Strange bedfellows

BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there.   The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the cold.   Similarly in Akot, the BJP cozied up under the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)'s green quilt, without a shred of guilt, to shoo off the Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and others from bagging the civic body.   In Ambernath, the Shiv Sena had emerged as the single-largest party with 27 seats in the 60-Ward house, and in Akot, the BJP achieved the same feat with 11 seats in the 35-Ward house.   Predictably, leaders across these parties rushed to douze the hayfires. A shaken Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal suspended local leaders in Ambernath, including the local party chief Pradeep Patil, the executive committee and around a dozen elected municipal councillors.   A dazed AIMIM state chief Imtiaz Jaleel, declared there was “no question of joining hands with the BJP”, and added grimly: “We have sought a report from the local party leaders, and after getting all details, we shall initiate appropriate disciplinary action,” a grim Jaleel said.   Smarting under red-hot chilli criticism flung by Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and Aam Aadmi Party’s Preeti Sharma-Menon, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shot out an earful to the local party leaders in Ambernath and Akot.   “We shall not tolerate the alliances with Congress and AIMIM. These partnerships must be broken. If the local (BJP) units have worked out such deals, they are wrong and violate norms. We shall take stringent action against them,” warned Fadnavis. Later, BJP State President Ravindra Chavan slapped a notice on the Akot party units seeking an explanation.   Ideological Somersaults Since 2019, the state has witnessed many such brazen ideological somersaults that have left political parties and voters shocked and awed.   It started when the (undivided) Shiv Sena joined the Congress and (united) NCP to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which ruled the state for two-and-half years.   In the current civic elections season, even the MVA has fractured with Congress going solo or with local allies like Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have embraced the once-untouchable MNS.   Adding to this is the flurry of local leaders-activists hopping parties, leaving voters bemused and bewildered, even as the parties fumbled to save their ideological credibility.   Ambernath: Shoving out the winner Indulging in political creativity, the BJP, Congress and NCP floated the Ambernath City Development Front, uniting the BJP, Congress and NCP, intended to keep the Shiv Sena out of power at all costs.   Ambernath falls in the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat of Dr Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who is already at loggerheads with BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan, hailing from Dombivali town, also in Thane district. BJP-Shiv Sena fought against each other in the civic polls last month.   In the 59-member Ambernath Municipal Council, the Shiv Sena won 23 seats, BJP 16, Congress 12 and NCP four. BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule was elected president through direct polls. Post-alliance, the BJP-Congress-NCP touched 32 seats, edging out the Shiv Sena which in its undivided form had ruled here for almost 35 years.     Akot: Bulldozing to grab power The BJP, AIMIM formed the Akot Vikas Manch, which included Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and NCP (SP) and Prahar Janshakti Party to wrest the 35-member house from potential claimants.   The BJP won 11 and AIMIM five, and along with others, the AVM claimed a majority with 25 municipal councillors, and the Congress, VBA floundered with just 8 seats.   The AVM was formally registered with the SEC. In the polls, BJP’s Maya Dhule was elected mayor defeating AIMIM’s Firozabi S. Rana.

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.”


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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