Thackeray-led Sena eyeing votes of Marathi Muslims but not speaking about development: Ashish Shelar

Ashish Shelar. File Pic

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mumbai president Ashish Shelar on Sunday hit out at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, saying that it was trying to woo "Marathi Muslims" ahead of the civic polls, but not speaking about what development took place in the city under its rule all these years.

Addressing a public rally here, he also sought to know why the Thackeray-led Sena was fighting elections on religious and caste lines.

The Shiv Sena has been in power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest civic body in the country, for nearly three decades. The BJP, which has joined hands with the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena in the state, seeks to snatch power from the Thackeray-led faction in the upcoming civic polls, the schedule of which is yet to be announced.

Launching the BJP's 'Jagar Abhiyaan' against the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from his own assembly constituency in Bandra West, Shelar said, "Thackeray is trying to forge a vote bank of Marathi people and Marathi Muslims. He even made special efforts to woo the community towards it. We want to know why is he not talking about any development works undertaken under his party's regime in the civic body?"

Sena's arithmetic is only for election, he alleged.

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"Why does the party need to seek votes on the basis of religion and caste? It should speak about how many new roads and schools were built and new gardens created under its rule," Shelar said.

The party even feels that it would win 150 seats in the BMC (of the total 227) on the basis of this equation. It has even roped in some influential media personalities to start its campaign subtly, he alleged.

"If Sena is wooing a particular community, then why is it averse to other communities, especially the North Indians, who have been living here for the last many years. It also has problems with Jain and Marwadi communities as well," the BJP leader claimed.

He added that the BJP would raise people's issues and questions about the shoddy work the Thackeray-led Sena did in the name of development.

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