MUMBAI: The upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections is likely to see a four-cornered fight. While the BJP and Shiv Sena have started targeting each other, the NCP has taken the lead and released a list of 45 candidates on Thursday putting to rest all speculations about an alliance with the Congress.
“The NCP would contest the BMC elections with full strength. The decision in this regard was made at a recent meeting held by the party leadership. In accordance with that, we are releasing the first list of 45 candidates,” said NCP city president Sachin Ahir. State Congress president and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan also refrained from speaking in favour of an alliance with the NCP. “Local party units would take decisions in accordance with the local conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Anil Parab fired a salvo against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday.
“The responsibility of corruption in the Corporation ultimately lies with the urban development department and hence the chief minister, who has been handling the department for the last two years,” he said reacting to Fadnavis’ remarks last night.
“The city has a huge budget of over thousands of crores. Yet the city is not fully developed,” Fadnavis said at a BJP function. “There is only one reason why Mumbai is not fully developed and that is corruption,” he had said without naming the Sena.
While the strength of Sena in the current house is 75, that of the Congress is 52, BJP 31, NCP 13 while the MNS has 28 out of a total of 227 seats.