BMC Elections 2022: Amit Shah Sets a Target of 150 Seats for BJP-Shinde Group Alliance

Mumbai, September 5: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who held a meeting here with party leaders, is learnt to have set a target of 150 seats for the alliance between the BJP and Shiv Sena group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the upcoming BMC polls and expressed confidence of their victory.

Sources said Shah described the group led by Shinde as "real Shiv Sena" and termed the group led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as "Uddhav party". According to sources, Shah said that the target of the BJP and "real Shiv Sena" in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls should be 150 seats.

The sources said Shah referred to the work done by the Modi government and said BJP was sure to win the BMC polls. He is learnt to have said that people are with the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not with the "Uddhav party".

Shah held a meeting with BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporators about the upcoming BMC elections. The BMC polls have not been declared but are expected to be held by November this year. Amit Shah Chairs Meeting with BJP Leaders in Mumbai Over Local Body Polls.

Sources said Shah targeted Uddhav Thackeray and said that the BJP had never promised CM's post to Shiv Sena ahead of 2019 assembly polls in the state and accused him of betraying the BJP "for power".

The Shiv Sena has seen a huge split and following the crisis that sharply reduced the number of MLAs with him, Uddhav Thackeray had claimed again in July this year that there was promise of a rotational chief minister ahead of 2019 assembly polls.

The BJP and Shiv Sena had contested the 2019 assembly polls together as allies but later differences erupted on the issue of the chief minister. Thackeray had broken ties with BJP and joined hands with Congress and NCP to form the MVA government which he headed. It was ousted from power in June this year after a split in the party led by Eknath Shinde who is now the Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Sources said Amit Shah said at the meeting that Uddhav Thackeray had not only "betrayed the BJP" but also the "ideology" and had "insulted the mandate of people of the state".

Shah is learnt to have said at the meeting that the reason for Uddhav Thackeray's party seeing a split and getting reduced in size is "Uddhav Thackeray and his greed for power and not BJP".

The sources said Amit Shah told the meeting that "there should be punishment for those who resort to deception in politics". They said Amit Shah told the meeting that he is stating again that the BJP had not promised the Chief Minister's post to Uddav Thackeray.

Sources said Shah told the meeting that BJP practices its politics openly and strongly and not in a closed room and took "khayali pulav" jibe at Uddhav Thackeray. This is Amit Shah's first visit to the state after the formation of the Eknath Shinde government. The meeting was held at the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Earlier in the day, Shah offered prayers at the famous Mumbai Lalbaugcha Raja along with Shinde and Fadnavis. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the lockdown situation for two years, the Home Minister was not able to visit the famous Ganpathi pandal in Mumbai.

Apart from Labaughcha Raja, Amit Shah visited a few more Ganpati Pandals in Mumbai, the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Bandra West organised by BJP Mumbai Chief Ashish Shelar.

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