‘Companies get Rs 1 crore each’: MNS leaders help BJP win Chandrapur mayor’s post after Sena (UBT) ditches Cong India News
New Delhi: Advanced Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande on Thursday claimed that everyone in the Shiv Sena (UBT) company was given Rs 1 crore to support bjp In the mayoral election, the way has been paved for the saffron party candidate to be elected mayor of the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation.The Shiv Sena (UBT) joined forces with the MNS to contest last month’s civic body elections in Mumbai, a development that brought together the long-estranged cousins of the Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. At the state level, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party continues to be part of the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), alongside the Congress and National Congress Party (Sharad Pawar).Tensions between the Congress and the Sena Party (UBT) came to light after the BJP, with the support of UBT corporators, managed to field its mayoral candidate in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation even as the Congress emerged as the largest party in the civic polls. The old party lost by just one vote.MNS Mumbai unit chief Deshpande claimed: “Besides other benefits, every Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator in Chandrapur has received Rs 1 crore. An independent corporator has received Rs 50 lakh.”Both the Sena Party (UBT) and the Bharatiya Janata Party have refuted the allegation.Deshpande further slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit for shouting at MNS when it supports the BJP, but when the Sena (UBT) itself does the same, he believes it is the “right thing to do”.He was referring to the support given by the local Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leadership in Kalyan-Dombivli to rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the civic elections, a move that was criticized by senior Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Chandrapur district president Sandeep Girhe hit back at Deshpande, saying he would resign if the MNS leader provides proof of funds received by the company. Jih also accused local Congress leaders of insulting Sena Party (UBT) officials in the area.Meanwhile, Deshpande took aim at Sanjay Raut, questioning whether the senior Sena Party (UBT) leader was kept in the dark or chose to “put a blindfold on” during the developments in Chandrapur.Raut met MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday. Speaking to reporters later, he blamed the Congress party for the setback in Chandrapur and said the party should have had more serious discussions with the local Sena (UBT) company.Rathe said the local Congress faction, led by MPs Pratibha Dhanoka and Vijay Wadetiwar, failed to reach a “consensus”. He added that he had spoken to senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal on the issue.“Uddhav Thackeray is personally looking into the matter. The corporators from Chandrapur will be summoned to Mumbai in a day or two. Uddhav Thackeray’s stance was that under no circumstances should the party do anything to benefit the BJP, a stance that remains even today,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.Sangeeta Khandekar of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Chandrapur mayoral election by defeating Congress candidate Vaishali Mahadule by one vote. Sena (UBT) corporator Prashant Danav was elected deputy mayor.This development raises serious questions about the unity of the opposition and the viability of the MVA. Chandrapur is one of the few municipal corporations where the Congress emerged as the single largest party and is expected to win the mayor’s post.In the elections to the 66-member civic body, the Congress won 27 seats, followed by the BJP with 23 seats.
