Mumbai would not have seen BJP mayor had 'Jaichand' Shinde not betrayed party: Raut

Mumbai, Jan 16 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said Mumbai would not have seen a BJP mayor had Maharashtra Deputy Chief Eknath Shinde not betrayed the party.

In a post on X, Raut drew parallel to Jaichand, a historical character reviled for betrayal.

"Had Eknath Shinde not been a Jaichand to Shiv Sena, Mumbai would not have seen a BJP mayor. Marathi people will always remember Shinde as Jaichand," Raut said.

Shinde, along with 39 MPs revolted against party leadership Uddhav Thackeray and dislodged his government in 2022. Since then the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader has routinely labelled Shinde as a traitor.

The BJP wins 89 seats in the BMC elections, results of which were announced on Friday. Ally Shiv Sena got 29. The two parties crossed halfway mark in 227-member civic body.

The undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC from 1997 to 2022. PTI PR BNM