Fadnavis Ups the Ante; BJP-SS Tussle Becomes Fierce

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at the Shiv Sena today as he squarely blamed the party for lackluster performance of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena did nothing for the Marathi people and only exploited them by appealing to emotions, he said. The development promised the fierce battle for the numero uno municipal body in Maharashtra.

Fadnavis, leading the charge of BJP's campaign from municipal elections, addressed a rally in Girgam in South Mumbai. The polling for the much-coveted BMC, is to take place on February 21.

Fadnavis said, "You people (Shiv Sena) have paid only lip service to the people of the city and Marathi people for the last 20 years. But the grim reality is that they lack basic amenities and here in Girgam, water is supplied only for an hour. Is this development of the city? Please stop playing the emotional chord with Marathi people."

Fadnavis also came down heavily on Shivsena chief Uddhav Thackeray for his jibe about BJP's promises on Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. "What the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has to do with BMC elections? Why don't you talk about the development agenda for Mumbai city? And Yes, our party has mentioned this issue (Ayodhya) in its manifesto for Uttar Pradesh polls," he said.

Sena was not focusing on issues of development and transparency because it had done nothing on these counts, while BJP had a development agenda that would transform the city, the Chief Minister said.

Fadnavis also targeted Sena over the bad condition of roads in Mumbai and said the irregularities and lack of transparency in the functioning of BMC was plaguing the city.

In a dig over the alleged `de-silting scam' in BMC, he said, "The way the work of de-silting of nullahs was carried out by the people of BMC and its caretakers, only (southern superstar) Rajinikanth could have done it (in such a non-feasible way).

Earlier, BJP said that it had "enough ammunition" and would expose Shiv Sena in the last week of campaign for the February 21 elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

Asked about all-out attack launched by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on BJP, his party's ruling ally in the state government, Tawde said, "Thackeray has already exhausted all his firepower against us in the very first phase of election campaign. I feel Sena will not have issues in their hand to attack us with during the last phase of campaigning."