BJP sounds bugle for BMC elections

Mumbai: “Kitne aadmi the?”(How many men were there?) asked Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while imitating the character Gabbar Singh’s iconic dialogue from Bollywood classic film ‘Sholay’ at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conclave held at Shanmukhananda Hall in central Mumbai on Saturday.

The Maharashtra BJP formally launched its ‘Mission Mumbai’ campaign to wrest control in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in what is likely to be an epic poll battle after the vertical Sena split in June.

Before Fadnavis took the dais, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar compared the deputy CM to veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, by mimicking another iconic dialogue. “Devendra Fadnavis jahan khade hotey hain, line wahin se shuru hoti hain,” said Shelar, amid applause from BJP activists.

In response, Fadnavis said, “I was called Amitabh Bachchan though I have Amjad Khan’s physique. But, I can at least ask, “Kitne aadmi they? 65 mein se 50 nikal gaye…do hi bache hain (Out 65 men, 50 are gone and now only two remain).”

Sena-BJP will ensure that the saffron flag will unfurl on the BMC and also fulfill Balasaheb Thackeray’s (Sena founder) dreams about Mumbai. “The BJP will pair with the Eknath Shinde-led real Shiv Sena which follows the ideology of honourable Hindu hriday samrat Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said amid applause.

Taking on Shiv Sena’s rhetoric that the Shinde government is a Delhi-controlled dispensation, Fadnavis said, “They say Mumbai will never bend before Delhi. Who is trying to bend? Mumbai is the financial capital, and Delhi is the political capital. Then we will have to go to Delhi. How else can our projects be implemented?”

Fadnavis alleged that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government indulged in massive corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping up the pretence of trying to protect the ‘aam aadmi’ (common people). “Their focus was not on people who were dying of the virus, but on having their share of malai (cream). Hundreds of crores of rupees were looted by them,” he alleged.

Reacting to the pot shots taken by Fadnavis, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray hit back at the BJP. “Devendra Fadnavis has made a pitiable attempt to seek votes in the name of Balasaheb (Thackeray). His statement also underlines that seeking votes on (Narendra) PM Modi’s name will be of no use. This is the admission that the Modi era has ended.”