Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde acted swiftly after the BMC results by moving newly elected Shiv Sena corporators to a hotel in Bandra, amid concerns over possible poaching. At the same time, a defiant Uddhav Thackeray reached out to party workers, asserting that it was still his “dream” to see a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected in Mumbai, even after losing control of the country’s richest civic body.
Speaking to Sena (UBT) cadres in Mumbai, Thackeray framed the BMC outcome not as a setback but as a morale-boosting result achieved in adverse conditions. He credited party workers for the performance, saying they were the real architects of the outcome and that the result, given the circumstances, was a matter of pride. He repeatedly praised the cadre for standing by the party despite limited resources.
Thackeray also launched a scathing attack on the BJP and the ruling alliance, accusing them of abusing power and securing victory through betrayal. He said they may believe they have finished the Shiv Sena on paper, but they could never erase the party’s presence on the ground or its connection with the people. Alleging that every possible tactic had been used against his party, he added that while traitors may have left, loyalty could not be bought.
In one of his strongest charges, Thackeray claimed the BJP had effectively “mortgaged Mumbai” to win the civic elections. He told workers that the Marathi community would never forgive such an act and reiterated that Sena (UBT) remained the true voice of the Marathi manoos.
Shinde’s concern over numbers explains the decision to house corporators together. In the 227-member BMC, the majority mark is 114. The BJP has secured 89 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has won 29, taking the ruling alliance’s total to 118, only four seats above the halfway mark.
With the margin narrow and the mayoral election approaching, Shinde’s move is seen as a precaution to prevent poaching or last-minute defections that could disrupt the numbers and complicate the ruling alliance’s hold over the civic body. Party leaders said the step was taken purely to safeguard support at a sensitive moment.
