Maharashtra municipal poll results – a victory of power, not principles: Shiv Sena-UBT in Saamana

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (SS-UBT) on Monday said those who voted for the BJP-Shinde alliance in Mumbai have effectively signed a “death warrant” for the city.

It suggests that the history of Maharashtra will remember the victors not as leaders, but as the state’s “assassins”.

The Thackeray camp, in the party mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, argued that while the BJP-Shinde alliance won the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the victory remains slim with a lead of only four seats.

Despite having state power, immense financial resources, and the “support” of the Election Commission, the ruling alliance barely crossed the finish line, it said.

Following the recent municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his gratitude to the public, attributing the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) success to their policies of “good governance”.

However, the editorial painted a far more contentious picture of the results, characterised by allegations of administrative bias and the marginalisation of local interests.

“Prime Minister Modi has thanked the public for granting the ‘NDA’ victory in the state’s municipal elections. He expressed that the enthusiastic citizens of the state have blessed the NDA’s policies of good governance. Simultaneously, BJP workers credited Chief Minister Fadnavis for the recent victory in Maharashtra. Workers claim Fadnavis is worthy of congratulations because his strategic use of power led to the win in the municipal elections. In reality, all municipal commissioners, district collectors, and police acted like BJP agents, which simplified Fadnavis’s victory,” alleged the editorial.

It further said the Election Commission of India has been hollowed out by “corruption”, becoming mere “cats” that ignore voter complaints.

According to the editorial, all eyes were on the Mumbai results.

Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not campaign in Mumbai, likely due to the “fear of the BJP losing,” it said.

“Although the combined numbers of the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena show a majority, it is a slim margin of only four seats. Over 100 corporators from the Shiv Sena, MNS, Congress, and ‘others’ will sit on the opposition benches, and these ‘hundred’ will outweigh the meagre majority of four. A majority is as volatile as mercury and could slip away at any moment. This is likely why the elected corporators of the Shinde group have been ‘confined’ in hotels,” claimed the editorial.

“Where is ‘Chanakya-level’ brilliance in this? Would this result have been possible if Fadnavis was not the Chief Minister? Akhilesh Yadav was not wrong when he said it is difficult for the opposition to fight local body elections when the ruling party holds state power,” said the editorial.

The Thackeray camp said that despite the alliance’s numbers, the “Marathi heartland” of Mumbai remained loyal to the Thackeray brothers, with Shiv Sena and MNS candidates winning in predominantly Marathi-speaking areas.

Conversely, the BJP’s gains were largely concentrated in non-local “outsider” pockets. It warned that the BMC is run under this “good governance” pattern, which involves the inclusion of corrupt elements, historic headquarters risks becoming a hub for “mafias and goons”.

The editorial highlighted the unexpected rise of the AIMIM, which secured over 100 seats across various corporations, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nanded.

It hinted at a “hidden strategy” behind this surge, intended to split the Congress vote bank to benefit the BJP. However, the editorial said while the NDA claims control over 23 out of 29 municipal corporations, reports indicate that in at least 17 of these, the BJP is dependent on “crutches” (allies) to maintain power.

The Congress maintained its ground in Kolhapur, led by Satej Patil, and saw success in Chandrapur.

–IANS