All 65 newly elected Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators will converge at the Konkan Commissioner's Office on Wednesday (January 21) for mandatory registration, departing from Sena Bhavan at 11:00 am by bus. This strategic move by Uddhav Thackeray's faction intensifies the high-stakes battle for Mumbai mayor amid explosive allegations of phone tapping by rivals. As BMC power dynamics shift post-elections, the registration symbolises Shiv Sena (UBT)'s formal claim in the corporator showdown.
Planned departure and registration drive
The entire contingent of 65 Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators will board buses from Sena Bhavan headquarters and proceed directly to the Konkan Commissioner's Office. This registration process formalises their group affiliation with Shiv Sena (UBT) for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a critical step in the unfolding mayor race. The synchronized action underscores party discipline amid intense political maneuvering.
Sanjay Raut's bombshell phone tapping claims
Escalating tensions, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused the BJP of tapping phones of both its own corporators and Shiv Sena members, who are reportedly confined to a luxury hotel. Raut alleged BJP workers are surveilling their movements, branding it an undemocratic tactic to control the mayor selection. He slammed the decision as being dictated from Delhi, calling it an affront to Maharashtra's pride and targeting Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction.
BJP's firm denial and counterattack
BJP media in-charge Navnath Ban rejected the allegations outright, asserting the party relies on genuine corporator loyalty rather than illicit surveillance. Ban flipped the script, questioning who tapped phones of Shinde and Uday Samant during the Maha Vikas Aghadi regime under Uddhav Thackeray. The BJP emphasized its trust in elected members, dismissing Raut's claims as baseless political theater.
Post-election power shift in BMC
The recent BMC polls shattered the Thackeray family's three-decade dominance, with the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance clinching a majority: 89 seats for BJP and 29 for Shinde's Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena swiftly relocated its 29 corporators to a luxury Mumbai hotel for an "orientation workshop," fueling suspicions of containment. Shinde insists the next mayor will hail from the Mahayuti alliance, hinting at a Shiv Sena nominee as a nod to Bal Thackeray's birth centenary and party sentiments.
Strategic meeting with Raj Thackeray
Amid the mayor suspense, Raut met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday (January 20), signalling potential alignments in the fractured regional political landscape. With Shiv Sena (UBT) pushing for registration today, the contest pits Uddhav loyalists against the BJP-Shinde juggernaut, promising a fierce showdown over Mumbai's richest civic body's leadership.