Mumbai, Dec 17 (NationPress) Drawing inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) asserted on Wednesday that the elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 other civic bodies represent a struggle to safeguard Mumbai from being "separated" from Maharashtra. They labeled this electoral event as a critical fight for the "survival of the Marathi Manoos".

The party's publication, Saamana, emphasized that the future of Mumbai hangs in the balance. If the city, crafted through the sacrifices of 106 martyrs, is lost, the Marathi community will endure "a lifetime of subjugation". They rallied the Marathi populace to "brandish the Bhavani sword of identity" and engage fiercely in the electoral contest with the slogan, "Har Har Mahadev!"

In the Saamana editorial, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena noted that the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has announced elections for 29 municipal corporations, notably the high-stakes Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. After a lengthy delay of seven and a half years, the SEC has set polling for January 15, 2026, with results to be revealed the next day, January 16. This announcement follows a Supreme Court order mandating that all local body elections in the state be concluded by January 31, leaving the "Rahman Dacoit gang"—which had infiltrated these 29 corporations—without options.

The editorial accused the current Fadnavis-Shinde government of intentionally postponing these elections to enable "looting" via the appointment of administrators. It suggested that the ruling coalition only proceeded due to judicial pressure, voicing concerns that funds allegedly misappropriated during the administrative period might be funneled into upcoming campaigns.

Furthermore, it stated, "Although the Model Code of Conduct is in place, it appears to apply only to the opposition. The ruling coalition members and ministers flout the code, laws, and regulations daily without consequence. Neither the state nor the Central Election Commission seems to address these violations, rendering the poll body a 'pet cat' of the authorities. In this inequitable environment, this electoral battle must be won by the Marathi Manoos at all costs."

A significant issue raised in the editorial is the condition of the voter lists. It claimed that the lists are "fraught with scams", alleging the presence of over 15 lakh duplicate voters statewide, including 1,50,000 in Mumbai alone. "The SEC has reportedly utilized lists from July 1, 2025, asserting it lacks the authority to modify names, although it has introduced a 'double star' marking system to identify potential duplicate voters for field verification. If the Commission does not regard this as serious, one must concede it wears a collar of subjugation and helplessness imposed by the government," it alleged.

Intensifying their criticism of the Mahayuti alliance, the Thackeray faction revealed that just before the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, the state government issued 49 Government Resolutions (GRs) and launched a series of development projects, which were deemed "deceptive strategies" aimed at swaying voters.

The editorial also scrutinized the practicality of election spending limits. While limits are established between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 15 lakh depending on the corporation's classification, it claimed that in recent local elections, candidates from the ruling alliance spent between Rs 100 crore and Rs 150 crore per municipality, with votes being brazenly purchased for as much as Rs 20,000.

In this context, the Thackeray faction alleged that the authorities would resort to "Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed (persuasion, money, punishment, and division)" to detach Mumbai from Maharashtra or put it up for auction. Yet, they urged the Marathi community to maintain their confidence.