BMC elections 2026 are final battle for Marathi identity, says Shiv Sena (UBT)

Invoking the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj the Shiv Sena UBT on Wednesday claimed that the BMC elections 2026 in particular and 28 other civic bodies are a battle to protect Mumbai from being carved away from Maharashtra terming the electoral exercise as a decisive struggle for the existence of the Marathi ManoosThe party its mouthpiece Saamana said the existence of Mumbai was at stake and if the city built through the sacrifice of 106 martyrs is lost the Marathi people will face a lifetime of slavery It gave a rallying cry for the Marathi people to pick up the Bhavani sword of identity and enter the electoral battlefield with the chant Har Har MahadevThe Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena in the Saamana editorial said the Maharashtra State Election Commission SEC has announced elections for 29 municipal corporations including highstakes Mumbai Thane Pune Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar After a prolonged sevenandahalfyear delay the SEC has scheduled polling for January 15 2026 with results to be declared the following day January 16 The announcement follows a Supreme Court directive mandating that all local body elections in the state be completed by January 31 leaving the Rahman Dacoit gang which had infiltrated 29 corporations with no choiceFadnavisShinde government intentionally deferred these elections Shiv SenaUBT in SaamanaThe editorial alleged that the current FadnavisShinde government intentionally deferred these elections to facilitate looting through the appointment of administrators It claimed that the ruling coalition only proceeded due to judicial intervention expressing concern that funds allegedly misappropriated during the administrative period will be funnelled into the upcoming campaignsThe editorial further said ldquoWhile the Model Code of Conduct is in effect it seems it is only for the opposition Members of the ruling alliance and their ministers violate the code laws and rules daily with impunity Neither the state nor the Central Election Commission pays any attention to these violations because the poll body has become a pet cat of the authorities In such an unequal environment this electoral struggle will take place and the Marathi Manoos must win it at any costrdquoA major point of contention highlighted in the editorial is the state of the voter lists The editorial claimed that the lists are riddled with scams alleging the presence of over 15 lakh duplicate voters across the state including 150000 in Mumbai aloneThe SEC has reportedly used lists from July 1 2025 claiming it lacks the authority to add or delete names though it has implemented a double star marking system to flag potential duplicate voters for field verification If the Commission does not see this as serious one must admit it wears a collar of slavery and helplessness put on by the governmentrdquo it allegedStepping up the attack against the Mahayuti alliance the Thackeray camp said that just before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct the state government issued 49 Government Resolutions GRs and launched a spree of development projects which were deceptive ploys intended to influence votersThe editorial questioned the feasibility of election expenditure limits While limits are set between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 15 lakh depending on the corporations grade it alleged that in recent local polls ruling alliance candidates spent between Rs 100 crore and Rs 150 crore per municipality with votes being openly bought for as much as Rs 20000Against this backdrop the Thackeray camp claimed that the authorities would use Saam Daam Dand Bhed persuasion money punishment and division to carve Mumbai away from Maharashtra or to put it up for auction However it appealed to the Marathi people not to lose confidenceWith inputs from IANS