Many corporators from Shinde-led Sena do not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai, claims Raut

Mumbai, Jan 18 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Sunday that many newly elected Shiv Sena corporators, who originally belonged to the Bal Thackery-founded party before its division, do not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai.

As the mayoral race heats up in Mumbai after the BMC polls, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, has moved 29 of his corporators to a luxury hotel in the city.

The Shiv Sena said its corporators have been put up at the hotel for a three-day workshop where Shinde will guide them on the functioning of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

When asked whether there will be a “ghar wapsi” (return) of corporators, Raut said, “Many new corporators are originally Shiv Sainiks (of undivided Shiv Sena). Our understanding is that everyone wants a BJP mayor not to be elected." He said if the corporators are “locked up” in the hotel, there are different sources of communication to send and receive messages. The corporators who have been “locked up” should be released, he said.

Even Shinde does not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai, Raut claimed.

On Saturday, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had said that his party could have its mayor if “Dev” (God) was willing. He also suggested that Shinde’s party was scared of poaching attempts by its ally BJP.

“There were discussions between Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray (on the post of mayor). We are watching it neutrally. There are many things happening behind the curtains,” Raut said.

In the recently concluded civic polls, the alliance of the BJP and Shinde-led Sena won a clear majority in the 227-member BMC, securing 89 and 29 seats, respectively. The Sena (UBT) won 65 seats. PTI PR NR