Next Mumbai mayor will be from BJP, says Nadda

BJP national head takes stock of election preparedness on two-day trip to Maharashtra. Nadda also discussed the BJP’s performance in the recent polls, its prospects in the forthcoming polls and the steps needed to improve the party’s position

Mumbai: In a bid to tame Uddhav Thackeray in his stronghold, Mumbai, the BJP’s national president J P Nadda, on his visit to the city, told party workers to ensure that Mumbai’s next mayor was from the BJP. Nadda held several rounds of meetings with key leaders from Mumbai and Maharashtra on his two-day visit to the state. Amid the recent defeats in the legislative and Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee elections, Nadda not only took stock of the party’s preparations for the Lok Sabha and civic body polls, but also discussed election strategy and the tie-up with the BJP’s alliance partner, the Shiv Sena.

Addressing booth-level party workers at Kandivli, J P Nadda said, “The two-and-a-half-year term of the MVA government was full of corruption and inefficiency. The Shinde-Fadnavis government has brought the growth engine back to the state. The next mayor of Mumbai will be from the BJP. We must all contribute with all our might to achieve this.” (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

Mumbai’s civic polls are crucial for the BJP, not just because the party wants to take political control of the financial capital but also to deal a fatal blow to Uddhav Thackeray’s attempts to revive his party after Eknath Shinde took away the majority of his MLAs to form a government with the BJP. For over two decades, the BMC has been a Sena stronghold—even after the split in the party, Thackeray has a majority of Shiv Sena corporators with him. The BJP is aiming to decimate that.

Addressing booth-level party workers at Kandivli, Nadda drove the point home. “The two-and-a-half-year term of the MVA government was full of corruption and inefficiency,” he said. “The Shinde-Fadnavis government has brought the growth engine back to the state. The next mayor of Mumbai will be from the BJP. We must all contribute with all our might to achieve this.”

Nadda had lunch at the residence of Sanghdeep Kedare, a Dalit party leader who lives in a shanty at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopkar East. The menu was typical Marathi food—puran poli, shrikhand puri, thecha along with varan bhaat and bhaji poli. “We discussed local politics, said Kedare, who has been active in the party since 2009. “Naddaji asked me to work hard for the local body polls. I raised the issue of the delayed redevelopment of our slums.”

A BJP leader told HT that Nadda also discussed the BJP’s performance in the recent polls, its prospects in the forthcoming polls and the steps needed to improve the party’s position. “He also talked about the possible results if the three opposition parties fight together,” said the leader. “We also discussed the failure of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena to gain popularity among people and possible ties-ups to increase the strength of the BJP. Local leaders have been asked to take steps to ensure that the party retains its tally in the Lok Sabha.”

Another party leader said that the sharing of seats with the Shinde faction during BMC and general elections was also a topic of discussion. “The leaders also spoke about the need to expand the state cabinet and the sharing of berths between the two ruling parties,” he said. “The appointments to corporations and statutory boards were also discussed as was the possibility of leaders from opposition parties joining the BJP.”

Nadda will attend the Yuva Samvad programme at Prabhadevi after visiting Siddhivinayak temple on Thursday. He will also meet the family members of V D Savarkar in Dadar and address party leaders in a state executive meeting in Pune in the evening.

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BJP infights mar Nadda visit

Infighting within the state unit of the BJP came to the fore after party leaders in Wardha and Ahmednagar expressed their dissent publicly. Eyebrows are being raised, as this happened just on the day the party’s national president J P Nadda was in the state.

BJP MLA Dadarao Keche, who is the guardian minister of Wardha, has written a letter to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressing his discontent over the latter releasing development funds for his constituency without his recommendation, and has threatened to resign if remedial steps are not taken.

The MLA is believed to be unhappy because of development works done here by an aide of Fadnavis, who is apparently keen on contesting the next assembly election from the constituency. Keche is considered to be a Gadkari camp MLA.

Senior party leader and former minister Ram Shinde, on his part, has complained against revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and his MP son Sujay. Shinde alleged that the Vikhe-Patil duo helped NCP candidates in the recently held Agriculture Produce Market Committee election in Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar. “Vikhe-Patil has a history of working against the party he joins,” Shinde told mediapersons in Ahmednagar.

Vikhe-Patil said that Shinde’s complaint was born out of a misconception. “The party leadership will take an appropriate call on the issue,” he said.