Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction holds protest at BMC

Mumbai/Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 29 (ANI): The Uddhav Thackeray-faction of the Shiv Sena on Thursday staged a protest outside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner's office in Mumbai.
The protest saw participation by the party's former councillors and came a day after day both the factions of the Sena - the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction which is led by chief minister Eknath Shinde clashed reportedly over control of the Shiv Sena party office situated on the ground floor of the BMC headquarters. Both factions are staking claim to the office.
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray speaking outside the Maharashtra Assembly in Nagpur today said that people who lack the confidence to do (build) anything resort to stealing.
"Shinde has claimed our office at BMC. Today I heard that he has visited the RSS office. The RSS should remain aware he can stake claim to the RSS office... this happens when people do not have the strength to achieve anything.. they try to steal and acquire places and things," the fomer Maharashtra chief minister said.
"There is yet one and a half day left of the Assembly session and the government is yet to give a response to the allegations of corruption," Thackeray said.
Allegedly on Wednesday, the two factions of the Shiv Sena clashed after MP Rahul Shewale from the Shinde camp reportedly accompanied by some others entered the Shiv Sena office, where members of the opposing Sena faction were present. Police who arrived at the scene forced everyone out and shut the office.
Bhaskar Jadhav MLA of the Uddhav faction attacked the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stating, "What I saw yesterday I mean the MP Rahul Shewale was accompanied by Naresh Mhaske who was an ex-Mayor of Thane who has nothing to do with BMC. All of them were there during the scuffle. It's an misuse of power by Maharashtra's CM Eknath Shinde, I know Shinde very well and he is not hardworking and has not worked on ground. Yesterday I saw the scene of the Mumbai municipal corporation, I feel that many people are doing wrong things to please Eknath Shinde".
Jadhav said that the scuffle on Wednesday was "very unfortunate and condemnable" and said the office had belonged to the Shiv Sena for many years and any attempt to take control of the Shinde camp of the office was condemnable.
"The session of BMC is over and these corporaters are ex-corporaters but still to listen and solve people's problems our people used to sit in the office, this is highly condemnable," Jhadhav said.
Jhadhav further said "It is 100 per cent misuse of power, this is not going to benefit them. Let the elections come, you stand in the elections, come out in the elections, get your people elected and then show your strength and on the basis of that take what you want to. Shiv Sainiks can work on the roads too."
Meanwhile Shambhuraj Desai, Maharashtra minister said that the right of a party to have its office in the BMC will be decided in the legislature the same way it is decided in the Vidhan Bhawan. "BMC is now under the administration of BMC Commissioner so all the corporaters are all former corporaters now. Naresh Mhaske, yes he is from Thane. So what is wrong if he was present at the office? Thane is in Maharashtra only and he is a leader of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena."
Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Minister and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar said that the Uddhav Thackeray faction has to realise that they have "lost" the majority.
"I feel peace should be restored and they (Uddhav Thackeray faction) should realise that they have lost the majority. Even in Gram Panchayat elections, they were in 5th position," he said on Wednesday.
Elections to the Mumbai municipal body is expected to be held in a few months time. (ANI)