Mumbai : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reflected on the friendly fights between Shiv Sena and the BJP in the upcoming local body elections across the state, saying the allies should adhere to the dharma of coalition. The Shiv Sena chief asserted that Sena leaders and workers have not made below-the-belt remarks against its allies while campaigning for the local body polls.
We are campaigning for our respective candidates based on different issues. We are not making below-the-belt remarks. Our agenda is development and we don’t campaign against our allies,” he said. But yes, everyone should adhere to the dharma of coalition. Our role is to ensure that Shiv Sena and the BJP form an alliance together and come to power in every corporation,” he stressed.
When asked about BJP and Sena workers making statements against each other and whether the friendly fights were causing a strain in the Mahayuti alliance, Shinde said the local body polls were not a competition. In some cases, we fight together and in other instances, depending on the local level, strategy and sentiments of the workers, we may fight separately. These workers are elected by our MPs and MLAs. We are already running the government together at the Lok Sabha and Assembly levels, he said.
Now, since these are party workers’ elections, they also expect their leaders to come and campaign in their elections. That’s why we go wherever possible,” Shinde said, firmly rejecting rumours of a rift between the BJP and Shiv Sena. Asked whether Maharashtra should have a portfolio allocation similar to the case of Bihar, where the BJP got the Home Ministry, a portfolio held by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for two decades, Shinde spoke about the historical significance of Mahayuti.
Our alliance – the BJP and Shiv Sena – is very old. This alliance dates back to the era of Balasaheb Thackeray, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. This alliance wasn’t formed out of greed for power. It’s an alliance of ideologies. Our core ideology is development for all,” he said. If the NDA is together in Bihar, the alliance is strong nationally. PM (Narendra) Modi has been taking the NDA to greater heights. Getting success across the country is a big thing.
He said the role of the Mahayuti is to come to power in all corporations and further the cause of development and taking the state to greater heights. Maharashtra will witness local body elections Tuesday with voting scheduled for 242 municipal councils and 46 nagar panchayats, marking the first phase of a three-tier process mandated by the Supreme Court.
The polls have already witnessed significant political manoeuvring, with the ruling Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party facing off against the Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) and Congress. Pune and Ahilyanagar districts were postponed to December 20 in view of judicial appeals filed against the decisions of Returning Officers following the scrutiny of nomination papers.
Votes will be counted on December 3. The elections will decide the fate of 6,859 members and 288 presidents across these local bodies, with over 1.07 crore eligible voters set to exercise their franchise at 13,355 polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be deployed throughout, with more than 66,000 staff members assigned to ensure smooth conduct of the polls, officials said. The local body results will test whether this momentum translates to grassroots governance or if opposition consolidation can challenge the ruling coalition’s dominance at the municipal level.
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