BMC Polls: How Shiv Sena, BJP traded charges on last day of campaigning

Ally turned enemies Shiv Sena and BJP continued to trade charges against each other on the last day of campaigning for BMC Polls.

MUMBAI: Ally turned enemies Shiv Sena and BJP continued to trade charges against each other on the last day of campaigning for the crucial February 21 BMC polls. BJP and Shiv Sena are going solo in this election, results for which will be declared on February 23. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar on Sunday expressed confidence of his party winning 114 seats (of the total 227 seats) in the BMC. Reacting to Shelar's comments, Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said, "Shelar has already admitted that they are not going to win all the seats". "The Mumbai city improvement committee is headed by BJP; the party has misused the powers and sold many land plots to private builders," alleged Shewale. He also wondered whether Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shelar would resign if BJP fails to win 114 seats. On the charges levelled by Shewale, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, "The hearing regarding such issues is taken by municipal commissioner. I am surprised that Shewale despite being a former member of BMC and now an MP does not know the rules." "In BJP, its party leaders predict its performance. Can Shiv Sena do the same and tender resignation if misses the numbers," Bhandari asked. "Going by the developments today between Congress and Shiv Sena, it is evident that both the parties have reached to an agreement," the spokesperson added. Allegations and counter-allegations flew thick all through the run-up for the election, which has virtually turned into a battle of prestige for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, heading the state's first BJP-led government, and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who led from the front their respective camps. BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is fraud: Congress: Ahead of the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls in Mumbai, the Congress said the Bharatiya Janata Party alliance with the Shiv Sena is 'fraud'. "With corruption and bad governance, this alliance has made Mumbai suffer. Their alliance, since the beginning, has been making fool out of people," leader Randeep Surjewala said. He added that their alliance has looted BMC and Mumba-kars for the last 20 years. "Why are Bharatiya 'Gunda' Party and Shiv Sena in government together for the past 20 years, when Shiv Sena is a corrupt grabber?" Surjewala said. He further said that the time has come to expose Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' fake statements.