People living in Mumbai are Marathi, belong to Maharashtra: Sena (UBT) candidate Ashish Patil

Mumbai, Jan 14 (PTI) Debunking the "Marathi manoos vs outsider narrative", Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate in Mumbai civic polls Ashish Patil has said those who have been living in the financial capital are the "inhabitants" of the city regardless of their roots.

Patil claimed a "misconception" is being perpetuated over the identity of Mumbai residents in the name of his leaders, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav and MNS president Raj Thackeray, who have come together after 20 years for the civic polls on the Marathi manoos (Marathi speakers) plank.

The topic of Marathi identity has resurfaced as a central theme in local politics as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gears up for elections on Thursday (January 15).

"Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have come together and they believe that a lot of Marathi people, not only Marathi, there’s a misconception about being Marathi, so basically people who live in Mumbai, in Maharashtra, the two-three generations who have been living here, they are all Marathi,” Patil, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Kandivali (West-Ward No. 22), told PTI.

“But some people say they are not Marathi, and that is not true for us (the party). I’ve a lot of good friends who speak Marathi better than me, and they are from the Gujarati community. My wife is a Gujarati and she speaks Marathi better than me. In politics, people say anything. (referring to negativity about being Marathi),” he said.

Patil, who has been working as a social worker for more than two-decades, credited Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray for instilling the importance of social service in the party’s ethos.

“Balasaheb always used to say, 80 per cent social work and 20 per cent political work and that is what he would tell every worker to follow. Balasaheb used to say, a Shiv Sainik is a Shiv Sainik. My father is also a Shiv Sainik, and I’ve seen him do so much (work)," said the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.

Patil, a first-time candidate, said his party gave him a chance to fight polls after seeing his work.

"I’m too a Shiv Sainik. After many years, seeing my work, the party has given me a responsibility (as a candidate in elections), I will fulfil my responsibility," he emphasised.

Municipal corporation of Mumbai and 28 other cities and towns will go to polls on Thursday.

Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in the 29 municipal corporations will begin at 7.30 am and conclude at 5.30 pm.

A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,700 in Mumbai and 1,166 in Pune.

The counting of votes will take place on January 16. PTI KKP RSY