Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that “a lot is happening behind the scenes” amid growing suspense over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayoral race, after the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena moved its 29 corporators to a five-star hotel following the NDA’s victory in the civic polls. Raut said that despite attempts to keep corporators isolated, political equations could still change. “No matter how big the majority, it is fickle,” he remarked, adding in a swipe that leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray camp could even visit the hotel for lunch. “Messages can still go through,” he said, suggesting that confinement cannot fully prevent political communication.
Responding to Raut’s remarks, Shinde Sena leader Raju Waghmare rejected the claims, calling them misleading. He said the corporators were shifted only as a precautionary measure to prevent coercion or undue influence during the post-election process. Waghmare asserted that the Mahayuti alliance has a clear majority in the BMC and that discussions among alliance partners would decide the mayor’s post. He also accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of failing to accept the election outcome, claiming Mumbai’s voters had rejected the party.
