In the immediate aftermath of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) verdict, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde moved swiftly to consolidate his position by shifting newly elected Shiv Sena corporators to a hotel in Bandra, amid fears of poaching and last-minute defections. At the same time, Uddhav Thackeray struck a defiant and emotional note, reaffirming his ambition to see a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, despite his party losing control of India’s richest civic body.
Uddhav’s defiant message
Addressing Sena (UBT) workers in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray attempted to reframe the BMC loss as a moral victory achieved under adverse conditions. He praised party cadres for standing firm despite limited resources and said the outcome itself was “a matter of pride”.
“You all are the true architects of this success; we are merely a medium,” Thackeray told workers, crediting grassroots loyalty for keeping the party afloat.
Launching a sharp attack on the BJP-led ruling alliance, he alleged that power was misused and the civic polls were won through “betrayal”.
“They think they have finished Shiv Sena on paper, but they can never destroy the Shiv Sena that exists on the ground,” he said, accusing rivals of using every tactic — saam, daam, dand, bhed — to undermine his party.
In a cryptic but emotionally charged remark, Thackeray said it remained his “dream” to elect a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, adding that it would come true “if God is willing”.
He also accused the BJP of having “mortgaged Mumbai” to secure victory, warning that the Marathi people would not forgive what he called a betrayal of the city and the Marathi manoos.
Why Shinde moved corporators to a hotel
Shinde’s swift action reflects the razor-thin numbers in the BMC. In the 227-member civic body, the majority mark is 114. The BJP has won 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has secured 29, giving the ruling alliance a total of 118 seats — just four above the halfway mark.
With such a narrow cushion and the mayoral election looming, party leaders said the decision to move corporators to a hotel was a precautionary measure to prevent poaching or defections that could upset the delicate arithmetic and threaten control of Mumbai’s civic administration.
The contrasting moves — Shinde’s defensive consolidation and Uddhav’s rallying cry to cadres — underline that while the BMC verdict may be declared, the political battle for Mumbai is far from over.