BJP pulling out of BMC's Mayor race 'ploy to befool people': Congress

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Mar. 05 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) announcement of pulling out of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor race did not go down well with the Congress, which termed the entire situation a ploy to befool people, adding that what the Shiv Sena and saffron party are doing now is against the public mandate. Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said there was a tactical understanding between the BJP and Shiv Sena and so after all mud-slinging, the latter took a u-turn and extended its support to the former. "It was just a ploy to see that the votes are adjusted in such a way that people are fooled. People who voted for the BJP feel they have been let down. We have been telling right from the beginning that both these parties are hand in glove with each other and we have been proved right today," Chavan told ANI. "People were under the impression that under the name of transparency, the BJP will not support the Shiv Sena. But, after all the mud-slinging on the Shiv Sena, the BJP ultimately took a u-turn and suddenly decided to support the Shiv Sena," he added. Chavan further said both the parties cannot survive without the support of each other and whatever they did was to ensure that their government survives. "Whatever they must have said, it is definitely to see that this government survives and that is why they have taken this step. But then why did you fool people by talking about transparency.Whatever they are doing now is against the public mandate," he said. In a development indicating a major victory for the Shiv Sena, the BJP yesterday announced that it will not serve as the opposition in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) by pulling out of the race for Mayor, adding that it respects the mandate of Mumbai. Addressing the media here, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the BJP will not contest for Mayor or Deputy Mayor. "At the end of the day Shiv Sena did win by more seats than us, so we respect the mandate of the people. We will not contest for Mayor or Deputy Mayor, nor will we play the role of Opposition in BMC. BJP will support Shiv Sena for the sake of development, and we won't compromise on transparency," the Chief Minister said. He also noted that the decision was taken by the party heads after cabinet meeting was held at Chief Minister's residence in Mumbai. (ANI)