Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray
NEW DELHI: Senior Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande alleged on Thursday that Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators were each paid Rs 1 crore to back the BJP in the mayoral election, paving the way for the saffron party’s candidate to be elected mayor of Chandrapur Municipal Corporation.Shiv Sena (UBT) contested last month’s civic body elections in Mumbai in alliance with the MNS, a development that brought together Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray — cousins who had been estranged for years. 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 the NCP (Sharad Pawar).Tensions have since surfaced between the Congress and Sena (UBT) after the BJP, with the support of Sena (UBT) corporators, succeeded in getting its mayor candidate elected in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, despite the Congress emerging as the single largest party in the civic polls. The grand old party lost by just one vote.”Every Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator received Rs 1 crore in Chandrapur, apart from other offers. An independent corporator was given Rs 50 lakh,” Deshpande, the MNS’ Mumbai unit chief, claimed.Both Sena (UBT) and the BJP rubbished the allegation.Deshpande further slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit for crying foul when the MNS supported the BJP but deeming it “correct behaviour” when Sena (UBT) itself did the same.He was referring to the local MNS leadership in Kalyan-Dombivli extending support to the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde following the civic elections, a move criticised 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 produced proof that corporators had received money. Girhe also accused local Congress leaders of insulting Sena (UBT) functionaries in the district.Deshpande, meanwhile, targeted Sanjay Raut, questioning whether the senior Sena (UBT) leader had been kept in the dark or had chosen to “wear a blindfold” during the developments in Chandrapur.Raut met MNS president Raj Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday. Speaking to reporters later, he blamed the Congress for the setback in Chandrapur, saying it should have held more serious discussions with local Sena (UBT) corporators.According to Raut, local Congress factions led by MP Pratibha Dhanorkar and Vijay Wadettiwar failed to arrive at 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 it. Corporators from Chandrapur will be summoned to Mumbai in a day or two. Uddhav Thackeray’s stand was that under no circumstances the party should do anything that will help the BJP, and that stand continues even today,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.BJP’s Sangeeta Khandekar won the Chandrapur mayoral election by a single vote, defeating Congress candidate Vaishali Mahadule. Sena (UBT) corporator Prashant Danav was elected deputy mayor.The development has raised serious questions about Opposition unity and the viability of the MVA. Chandrapur is among the few municipal corporations where the Congress emerged as the single largest party and had been expected to secure the mayor’s post.In the elections to the 66-member civic body, the Congress won 27 seats, followed by the BJP with 23.
