Mumbai, Feb 19: Shiv Sena President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde exhorted party workers to be ready for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic and local bodies in the state, especially after the party’s stellar performance in the Assembly elections.

At the party rally, Shinde asked the cadres to step up outreach with the voters by taking up work done by the MahaYuti government during June 2022 and November 2024.

“There should be a Shiv Sena ‘shakha’ and a Shiv Sainik in every ward,” he said and appealed to the cadres that one blow was given in the Assembly elections now another blow be given in the upcoming BMC elections to assume power. “Shiv Sena needs to be expanded and strengthened further,” added Shinde.

He instructed the workers and office bearers to register 123 names in the voter list as members in each ward and to register more than 10,000 members in each ward. Without directly mentioning Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, “Some people rake up the issue of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra when the elections come. But as long as there is sun and moon, no one can break Mumbai from us.”

Deputy CM Shinde said that the government will promote the stalled redevelopment and bring back the thrown-out Mumbaikars to Mumbai. By bringing together all the government undertakings like MHADA, MMRDA, Mahapreet, and MIDC, development started in Mumbai through clusters like Thane. The government has built seven sewage treatment plants in Mumbai.

He further said that in the next three to four years, the polluted and untreated water going into the sea will be processed and released and the water of Mumbai’s sea will become blue. After becoming the Chief Minister, all the roads in Mumbai will be made of concrete in two phases. However, in the name of repairing Mumbai’s roads, some have made Rs 3500 crore so far.

Shinde said in his first speech in the state Assembly after becoming the chief minister in June 2022 he had announced that the MahaYuti will win more than 200 seats or else he would go to his native village to do farming. “But the beloved sisters, beloved brothers, beloved farmers, beloved elders of the state voted for the MahaYuti in large numbers. The election results also showed who the real Shiv Sena is. The people of Maharashtra locked up those who made false accusations in the elections,” he added.

The Siv Sena chief reiterated that he, along with 39 legislators, led an uprising in June 2022 to advance Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts. He added that he is following the teachings of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe and alleged that Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena does not want Balasaheb’s thoughts but property.

Shinde clarified that there is no cold war among the MahaYuti partners but they are working together in the government. “There is no cold war, but our war is against those who are working against development,” he said.

“Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream was to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and remove Article 370 in Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah fulfilled that, but you (Uddhav Thackeray) also abuse them,” he said.

Meanwhile, several leaders and workers from Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP(SP) joined the Shiv Sena.