Mumbai, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday articulated that with the conclusion of municipal elections and the selection of new Mayors in various regions, the phase of administrator-led governance has come to an end, paving the way for the dominance of elected representatives. However, it asserted that this transition has been overshadowed by claims of “unethical power grabs and the degradation of democratic values”.

In a sharp critique directed at the BJP, the Thackeray faction in the party’s publication 'Saamana' stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party is poised to place Mayors in 10 out of 11 municipal corporations. “With control over power, finances, and the police force, the BJP behaves as if it could appoint a Mayor anywhere — even on the Moon or Mars — while parading the banner of 'Hindu-Marathi' pride,” it noted.

The editorial pointed out the astonishing lengths to which the BJP and its affiliates go to pour money into every election, stretching from the Lok Sabha to the Gram Panchayats. “While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis instructs officials to exercise austerity due to an empty state treasury, why does he ignore the millions squandered by the BJP and its allies in minor elections? These actions have led to the complete deterioration of Maharashtra’s political culture over recent years. The period of mourning for Ajit Pawar's passing may conclude, but the cloud of grief hanging over Maharashtra's political landscape shows no signs of dissipating,” it added.

“There are 'absurd' and 'disposable' individuals in Fadnavis's cabinet who openly declare, 'I allocate funds based on the party and symbol; if it’s the 'Mashaal' symbol, I won’t contribute a single rupee.' Distributing public funds in an undemocratic manner is indeed embezzlement of governmental resources. Every elected representative has an equal claim to government funds, yet the BJP has transformed culture into a gutter, with Devendra Fadnavis comfortably seated in that gutter,” the Thackeray camp alleged.

According to the editorial, in Mumbai, the BJP nominated Ritu Tawade as the Mayoral candidate, suggesting this choice of a Marathi face was a strategic maneuver prompted by the Shiv Sena’s vigorous campaign on Marathi identity. Notably, Tawade promptly pledged to expel Bangladeshis from Mumbai. This position has ignited inquiries regarding Prime Minister Modi’s endorsement, especially as the national budget continues to funnel substantial financial support to Bangladesh despite ongoing assaults on Hindu temples there. However, in Mira-Bhayandar, the BJP disregarded local demands for a Marathi representative and instead appointed a non-Marathi Mayor.

“The entire Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) faction in Kalyan-Dombivli allegedly allied with the Shinde faction. In Nashik, MNS corporators also defected to the Shinde group. Some candidates elected under the 'Flaming Torch' (Mashal) symbol have shamelessly joined the Shinde faction or transitioned to the BJP. The BJP and Shinde faction have forsaken their 'Hindutva' ideology for power, attempting to forge alliances with the AIMIM in Malegaon, although that effort ultimately failed,” claimed the editorial.

The Thackeray camp asserted that the defectors often rationalize these actions by insisting they must align with the ruling party to secure “development funds” for their constituencies. Nonetheless, it maintained that these justifications were mere hollow excuses for individuals seeking contracts and committee roles.

The editorial characterized this trend as a troubling phenomenon of “political termites” — representatives defecting before the ink on the election results has even dried.

While the Thackeray camp has graciously congratulated the new Mayoral boards, it has reiterated that the prevailing political culture in Maharashtra has reached an unprecedented low, labeling it a “gutter” where the leadership is now “comfortably wading”.