The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday cautioned the Congress against going solo in the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections after a major poll debacle in Bihar. In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena said if the grand old party decides to fight the election alone, the move will help the BJP and dent Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also highlighted Rahul Gandhi's remark on “teaching a lesson” to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that this could happen only when the Opposition is united.
This came after several local leaders of the Congress claimed the party was mulling going solo in the BMC polls.
Raj Thackeray's inclusion to strengthen MVA, says Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena also defended Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s entry into the MVA, saying that the move will only strengthen the coalition.
“If Congress decides to go solo in Mumbai, it will be their decision; we are together as MVA.The entry of Raj Thackeray will only strengthen Marathi unity,” it said.
The editorial also pointed out Congress' concerns that onboarding Raj Thackeray could harm the party in North India and shake its Muslim voter base, asserting that neither Shiv Sena nor MNS was there in Bihar polls.
“However, neither Shiv Sena (UBT) nor Raj Thackeray were there in the recent Bihar assembly elections, yet the Congress faced rout there,” the editorial said.
The editorial claimed that the Muslims had supported the MVA and would continue to do so as Uddhav Thackeray had not differentiated between religions during the coronavirus pandemic when he was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
"Congress should not worry about Muslims and North Indians; they will continue to support the MVA,” the Sena (UBT) said.
Shiv Sena slams BJP
The Shiv Sena said that the Congress was wrong if the party thinks it will get 100 per cent Hindi-speaking and Muslim votes. Uddhav Thackeray’s party also rebuked the BJP, alleging that the saffron party was trying to “break” Mumbai and it was necessary for everyone to stay united in such a situation.
