Shinde asks Sena MLAs not to criticise alliance partners

Shinde made the statement while addressing a meeting of all Sena legislators of the state, in Nagpur, to prepare them for corporation and zilla parishad (ZP) polls

MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister and head of Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde told his MLAs on Monday that with elections to nagar panchayats being over, they should abstain from criticising alliance partners.

Mumbai, India - July 05, 2022: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addresses the media during a press conference at BMC Disaster Management Department, BMC Headquarters, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, July 05, 2022. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Shinde made the statement while addressing a meeting of all Sena legislators of the state, in Nagpur, to prepare them for corporation and zilla parishad (ZP) polls.

This comes on the back of Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ravindra Chavan, who have been at loggerheads lately, sharing a stage during a function in Dombivli on Saturday.

On Monday, Shinde said that his party will contest and win the municipal corporation and ZP elections as a part of the Mahayuti alliance, and asked his MLAs to “maintain coalition dharma”. “Do not behave in a way that may lead to conflict,” Shinde told them. “Any disputes that may have occurred during the municipal council elections are now over. Forget what happened and start working again with renewed energy.”

Shinde also said a positive atmosphere prevailed over this election. “We fought well, and the results will also be good,” he said.

While Sena wishes to contest for 125 seats in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the BJP wants to contest a minimum of 150 seats to win over 100 seats in the polls.

Meanwhile, Sena MLAs said that BJP plans to call Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate two Metro lines connecting Mira-Bhayander and a part of Metro 2B before poll code comes into force.