Shiv Sena aims to take on an expansionist BJP in BMC polls

The party hopes to capitalise on its Hindutva, Marathi Manoos planks

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has taken a calculated risk to ditch his party's 25-year-old ally Bharatiya Janata Party and fight Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election independently. Sena insiders argue that Uddhav's announcement is aimed to take the expansionist BJP head on and thereby retain its supremacy over the BMC, which has been the party's oxygen since last 20 years.

Further, Uddhav, who took into confidence his senior leaders and close associates of party supremo late Bal Thackeray, also strongly indicated that the time is quite opportune to build his image as the regional leader similar to Biju Janata Dal leader Navin Patnaik, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, and AIADMK's former general secretary late J Jayalalithaa and simultaneously project the saffron party as a regional force.

This, the party leaders say will be done by effectively reaching out to the voters on the plank of Hindutva, Marathi Manoos. Sena won 63 seats while BJP bagged 123 seats in the 288-member assembly in the 2014 Assembly elections.

Uddhav was unhappy with BJP's growing proximity with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan recently. However, Sena ministers will continue to be part of the state and Central government despite Uddhav's announcement to dump BJP in the election of BMC, nine other civic bodies and 25 zilla parishads. Party spokesman Sanjay Raut clarified that Sena does not want to destabilise the government. Some leaders from BJP and Sena have also hinted at the possibility of both the parties joining hands in BMC after the polls. This had happened after the election to the Kalyan Dombivli civic body.

Uddhav and party ministers were annoyed with BJP's consistent move to sideline them while taking crucial policy decisions. Moreover, Uddhav and Shiv Sainiks in general were agitated over BJP's repeated attempts to hold the ally responsible for the alleged corruption and mafia raj in BMC. A day after Uddhav's decision to ditch BJP, party MP Kirit Somaiya announced that the party will soon release black paper on various scams in the BMC.

Interestingly, Uddhav personally visited the party shakhas across Mumbai and asked his sainiks be prepared for a solo fight. There are 227 wards and more than 12,000 booths. The Sena President exhorted party members to strive for Sena's victory by taking on mighty BJP.

BJP sworn to development agenda

As far as the BJP is concerned, it has also done enough ground work for its success in the BMC election on the lines of its sterling performance in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. BJP stuck to its transparency stand making Sena unease. On its part, BJP was quite angry with Uddhav and his party leaders for attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah and also against demonetisation and cross-border attacks.

Fadnavis and his party leaders plan to run aggressive campaign on the development plank while luring Marathi Manoos and non-Marathi speaking voters in Greater Mumbai. The party's argument will be that it will be a natural choice to lead BMC as it has been in power in the state and at the Centre. Besides, BJP in driver seat will help bring more funds and expedite slew of development projects including laying of metro network, sea link, coastal road and expansion of water supply for Mumbaikars. Ahead of the announcement of poll, Modi laid foundation stone for number of city projects worth Rs 1.06 lakh crore and the BJP took credit for the same while keeping Sena fuming.

Additionally, BMC will lose Rs 7,500 crore annually after the abolition of Octroi following the implementation of Goods & Services Tax. The Centre has asked the state government to amend the state GST and ensure compensation of loss borne by BMC. The BJP will argue that being the big brother in the state government it will be quite easy to help the BMC and thereby making the civic body financially sound. The party proposes to make the tendering and procurement process transparent in BMC as it has been criticised for rampant corruption.