Mumbai, Oct 30 (PTI) Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar has claimed that the political situation has taken a "360-degree turn" in favour of the ruling Mahayuti after the Lok Sabha elections, where the ruling combine put up an underwhelming show.
He also criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, terming him as an "egoistic and selfish" leader, and said the former chief minister was not ready to come out of his "ivory tower".
In this year's Lok Sabha elections, the Mahayuti managed to win just 17 out of the 48 seats in the state, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) put up an impressive show by winning 30 seats. The BJP's seat tally came down to nine, while it had won 23 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In an interview to PTI, Shelar said data from the immediate past election can be a reference point for analysis, but not for a fight on the ground.
"We can compare the prevailing situation to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at the most because they took place just six months ago. But as compared to that election, there is a 360 degree shift. The pendulum has shifted in our favour. It's a pragmatic shift. People are with us. Every election is different - the reasons, rivals and situations are different," he said when asked how he sees the BJP's prospects in the assembly elections.
The first two months after the Lok Sabha polls, our cadre was depressed over the poor performance, he said.
"We were only responding to the opposition attacks. Now there is a shift. They are now targeting our schemes, including the toll waiver and Ladki Bahin. This is a pragmatic shift. People are with us because of the schemes for students, youth, women and farmers, among others," he said.
''We are working together. We sat together to discuss why we couldn't win the Lok Sabha elections. Our working style was smooth unlike that of egoistic Uddhav Thackeray, who is trying to dominate the Congress whereas Sharad Pawar is not reacting," he claimed.
Thackeray was not ready to introspect on his failures, he said.
Shelar admitted that the Haryana assembly poll results, where the BJP defeated the Congress, also helped change the perception.
Targeting Thackeray, the BJP leader said the former chief minister cannot digest Congress and NCP (SP) getting more seats than his party.
"We have experienced his ego when he was our ally. Now Congress and Sharad Pawar are experiencing it. He is an egoist and selfish leader. He is under the impression that he has created Mumbai and Maharashtra. He cannot treat his political friends with respect. He didn't even treat his relatives well," he said.
It is fine if one wishes to become a chief minister, but does anyone demand this on a public platform, he asked, referring to Thackeray seeking a CM face for the MVA.
''Thackeray thinks that Congress and NCP (SP) got more seats because of him. But there can be multi-fold dissection- fake narrative and ecosystem is also one of the reasons. He is not ready to come out of his ivory tower," he said.
Shelar defended BJP's alliance with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, saying that it was a well thought of move.
"But we will not campaign for (NCP candidate) Nawab Malik, accused of having links with Dawood Ibrahim," he said.
Malik is contesting the November 20 assembly polls as an NCP candidate from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency.
Malik's daughter Sana is also contesting as an NCP candidate from Anushakti Nagar assembly seat. When asked when the BJP plans to campaign for her, Shelar said Devendra Fadnavis will take a decision on it.
"If the Mahim seat was with the BJP, it would have supported (MNS chief Raj Thackeray's son) Amit Thackeray. We got Aaditya Thackeray elected as a 'yuti' (alliance of BJP and undivided Shiv Sena) candidate in 2019. But it is the egoistic Uddhav Thackeray, who has changed his political stand. BJP wishes that all three leaders should ensure that the Mahayuti should support Amit Thackeray," he added.
The BJP is contesting 17 seats in Mumbai and has given two seats to the Republican Party of India (Athawale).
BJP will be the single largest party, he expressed confidence.
Shelar admitted that talks on a few seats got prolonged as the Mahayuti was waiting for the names of candidates to come out from the opposite side and who among them can put up a good fight.
On the internal differences within the alliance, especially in Borivali constituency, Shelar said there are no such differences.
Gopal Shetty, a two-time MLA and former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai, has filed his nomination as an independent candidate against the BJP's official nominee, Sanjay Upadhyay, in Borivali.
"There were many aspirants. (Incumbent Borivali MLA) Sunil Rane did exceptionally well in his first term. Earlier, even Vinod Tawde did good work. Borivali has a good network of BJP in place and the voters support the party. Even Ram Naik had contested assembly elections from there despite being a resident of Goregaon," he said.
"Borivali is such a constituency that helps build the party's long-term leadership. We can get future leaders from such seats where the party is strong. Love and support of voters in Borivali for BJP is proven," he said. PTI MR NP