Raj wasn’t there in Bihar polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) on Congress going solo in BMC election

Mumbai, Nov 18 (PTI) The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday asked the Congress to exercise restraint and avoid going solo in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, cautioning that the move would help the BJP and weaken the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi combine.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also reminded the Congress about its leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement on “teaching a lesson” to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“That lesson can be taught only if the Opposition remains united,” an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana said.

The party said the announcement by local Congress leaders to go solo in the ensuing BMC elections is detrimental to Opposition unity and stressed the importance of a combined contest to foil the BJP's “plan to separate” Mumbai.

The editorial made light of Congress' concerns over a potential dent in its north Indian and Muslim voter base if the Raj Thackeray-led MNS is taken on board in the Opposition bloc comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress.

The Congress believes that the coming together of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will hurt its prospects among Hindi-speaking people and Muslims, the editorial said.

“However, neither Shiv Sena (UBT) nor Raj Thackeray were there in the recent Bihar assembly elections, yet the Congress faced rout there,” the editorial said.

The Muslim community had backed the MVA in Lok Sabha and state assembly polls last year, the editorial said. As then chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray did not differentiate between religions during the coronavirus pandemic, it said, adding Muslim votes will remain with the MVA.

"Congress should not worry about Muslims and North Indians; they will continue to support the MVA,” the Sena (UBT) said.

If the Congress thinks that by contesting independently, it will get 100 per cent Hindi-speaking and Muslim votes, then it will not happen, the editorial said.

"The local leadership of Congress has announced that it will go solo in the BMC elections. The confidence that has arisen in that party after the Bihar results deserves the highest praise,” the editorial said.

Accusing the BJP of trying to “break” Mumbai, the editorial said that Mumbai is not only the capital of Maharashtra but also the economic capital of the country. It claimed that the "BJP-sponsored builder lobby” is working to undermine Mumbai's influence.

“In such a situation, it is necessary that everyone comes together. The Marathi Congress leaders should have at least realised that this is a battle of self-respect for Mumbai and Maharashtra," the Sena (UBT) said, stressing the importance of opposition unity to fight against the “BJP and Adani culture".

The editorial strongly endorsed Raj Thackeray and recalled his participation in a march organised by the Opposition parties in Mumbai against "vote chori".

“If Congress decides to go solo in Mumbai, it will be their decision; we are together as MVA. The entry of Raj Thackeray will only strengthen Marathi unity,” it said.

Will the Congress also contest solo in the remaining 27 municipal corporations in the state, it added.

Reacting to the editorial, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said defeating the BJP cannot come at the cost of compromising on constitutional values.

The present situation could have been avoided had the Shiv Sena (UBT) clearly stated its stand earlier, Sawant said.

"In July, it was said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi was not needed. It would have been helpful if there had been clarity that such advice might later require an explanation," he said, alluding to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's comments in July that arrangements like the INDIA bloc or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are not necessary for the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra.

Sawant said political differences can exist, but acknowledging them is important. "If matters had been clarified at the beginning, we would have stated our position clearly".

Targeting the Uddhav Thackeray-led party over its increasing closeness with the MNS led by Raj Thackeray, Sawant said, “The Congress opposes all forms of violent and hate-driven politics, whether religious, caste-based, or linguistic. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands. While opposing the BJP, we cannot justify hate politics by others.” The BJP termed the Sammana editorial an example of "subservient” politics.

"While the party's leader (Uddhav) claims the Congress is free to take its own decisions, its mouthpiece pleads with the same Congress to reconsider its stand on contesting elections independently, which shows double standards, a crooked spine, and a hollow sense of self-respect," BJP state chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye posted on X.

Upadhye said the Sena (UBT) is virtually prostrating before the Congress. "Once self-respect is mortgaged, such desperate appeals become inevitable," he added.

Local leaders of the Congress, part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which includes the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), have spoken about contesting the upcoming Mumbai civic body elections independently.

Sawant said Monday the decision to go solo was taken after "extensive consultation with local leaders, district unit, and central leadership".

“Congress has never compromised on ideology. Our politics is rooted in constitutional values, equality, and inclusivity," Sawant said, adding the party had opposed the MNS' linguistic politics and tactic of physical intimidation from the beginning.

"We are proud of the Marathi identity... but we reject any politics that insults other languages or attacks other people," he said, referring to multiple cases of migrant workers being attacked by MNS “goons”.

Calling migrants as 'outsiders' hurts not just the people coming from other states but also those from other parts of Maharashtra who make Mumbai home, Sawant said. "Those who move out of Maharashtra to work elsewhere face the consequences of this rhetoric," he added. PTI PR MR ND NSK VT VT