Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray for deliberately attempting to fuel the "Marathi vs Non-Marathi" narrative during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, asserting that such divisive politics stands in sharp contrast to his government's development-focused approach.

Speaking to ANI about attempts to polarise voters on linguistic lines, the Chief Minister said, "Marathi is my language. There must be development for the Marathi language." However, he questioned the opposition's definition of "development for the Marathi man," asking whether it meant pushing Marathi-speaking people out of Mumbai or resorting to violence against workers. "We brought the Marathi man back to Mumbai by creating jobs through infrastructure projects and built homes for the people," he said, adding that voters are aware of these efforts.

Fadnavis also addressed the Hindutva debate, stating that Hindutva is the BJP's "soul" and has never been used merely as an electoral slogan. He criticised rivals for distancing themselves from Hindutva for vote-bank politics and said they must answer to the people for misleading Marathi asmita (identity).

The Chief Minister further highlighted that the Mahayuti alliance entered the civic poll campaign in a "serious and professional" manner from day one. He underlined that the BJP-led alliance fielded candidates from ordinary backgrounds, including vegetable vendors, middle-class individuals, advocates, and even people without their own homes.

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According to him, the campaign received an overwhelming public response, driven by the work showcased before voters. Fadnavis expressed confidence that Mahayuti would secure a majority and claim mayoral posts in 26 of the 29 municipal corporations going to the polls.

The remarks come as Maharashtra heads into civic polls across 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Voting for the BMC election 2026 will be held on January 15 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm across 227 wards, with counting scheduled for January 16.