Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 15: With civic elections on the horizon, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has urged party workers to deepen ties with Mumbai families and spotlight alleged lapses and corruption during the BJP-led Mahayuti administration since March 2022. Addressing shakha pramukhs at Shiv Sena Bhavan, he instructed them to engage at least 300 households in their wards, rally officer-bearers, polling agents, and frontal organisation leaders, and remind citizens of Sena (UBT)’s contributions to the BMC over the past twenty years. Amid defections to the Eknath Shinde-led faction, Thackeray warned cadres against succumbing to monetary offers or inducements.

The state government’s timeline indicates that final ward boundaries for Mumbai, Thane, and Pune civic polls must be notified by September 4, following a draft publication between July 22–31 and a public hearing period from August 1–11. BMC elections are expected in October or November, and Thackeray’s call reflects a push to solidify ground-level support well ahead of formal campaigning.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing critique of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his weekly ‘Rok Thok’ column in Saamna, likening him to a ‘madari’ controlling dancers with power, money, and builder backing. Raut accused Fadnavis of gearing up for civic polls through corrupt practices, recalling alleged falsehoods in the state assembly victory, and claimed the CM favors corporate interests at the expense of Marathi residents. He maintained that the “Thackeray brand is invincible,” asserting enduring public respect for Bal Thackeray’s legacy and his family.

As both organisational mobilisation and heated rhetoric intensify, Shiv Sena (UBT) appears focused on reaffirming its grassroots network and challenging the incumbent administration’s record, setting the stage for a fiercely contested BMC election.