Must teach lesson to Thackeray's corrupt party in most crucial BMC polls: Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 15 (ANI): Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar expressed confidence in a Mahayuti victory (BJP-Shiv Sena), which would "teach a lesson to the corrupt party of Thackeray" in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, which commenced on Thursday afternoon.
Showing his inked finger to mediapersons after casting his vote, Shelar said that the BMC polls are the "most crucial for the development of Mumbai."
"It's the most crucial election, for the development of Mumbai and a budget of over Rs 40,000 crore. We have to make our city a developed Mumbai. I appeal to the voters to come out in large numbers," Shelar told reporters.
While also attacking the Shiv Sena (UBT) party, Shelar said that this election is also an opportunity to "teach a lesson to the corrupt party of Thackeray."
"I appeal to the voters to come out in large numbers. You have the opportunity to teach a lesson to the corrupt party of Thackeray... The Mumbaikars have decided to vote for Viksit Maharashtra under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde," he said.
Shelar further claimed that the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will face 'defeat' just like they did in the 2014 and 2017 state elections, because of how they allegedly linked the polls to language.
"This is a matter of who will develop Mumbai and how... They (opposition) tried to link the elections with language and sentiments in 2014 and 2017, and Uddhav Thackeray faced defeat both the times. This time as well, Mahayuti will be victorious," he said.
Mumbai BJP President Ameet Satam also urged Mumbaikars to cast their votes for a developed and safe Mumbai.
"We have prayed at the feet of Lord Siddhivinayak, asking him to grant us strength and blessings to build a developed and safe Mumbai in the coming times. May this day be recorded as a historic day for Mumbai. I urge all Mumbaikars to cast their votes in large numbers for a developed and safe Mumbai, and for the protection of future generations," Satam said.
Apart from BMC elections, 28 other Municipal Corporations also went to polls across Maharashtra.
To ensure maximum voter participation, the Maharashtra government has declared January 15 a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. The holiday applies to all government and semi-government offices, corporations, and banks within the jurisdiction of the 29 corporations going to the polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting the BMC elections in alliance with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, the National Congress Party, which is part of Mahayuti in the state and the NDA in the Centre, has joined hands with the NCP (SP) in key municipal corporations, including Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune.
The prominent civic bodies going to polls include Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Nashik, Malegaon, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ichalkaranji, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded-Waghala, Parbhani, Jalna, Latur, Amravati, Akola, Nagpur and Chandrapur. (ANI)