Mumbai

With the MNS backing Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli civic body, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray is now reaping the fruits of his 2019 "betrayal" of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP said on Thursday.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has politically harmed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, state BJP media in charge Navnath Ban claimed, citing a decrease in the number of corporators of Raj Thackeray's party in Mumbai despite an alliance, compared to the 2017 election.

The Kalyan-Dombivli decision could be replicated elsewhere, he further said, adding that people now identify Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Fadnavis with development.

A new political equation emerged in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) on Wednesday as five corporators of Raj Thackeray-led MNS offered support to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, which is in alliance with BJP.

The MNS corporators' decision could be viewed as a setback to Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) as the two parties fought the keenly-watched January 15 elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) together.

"After fighting the 2019 assembly polls together, Uddhav Thackeray betrayed (BJP leader) Devendra Fadnavis for the chief minister's post, and he is now getting the fruits of that betrayal in Kalyan," Ban told reporters at the state BJP office here.

On Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Raj Thackeray was "distraught" over the development in KDMC as it was not the official decision of his party, while MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said the new equation appears to be part of an understanding at the local level.

Targeting Raut, Ban said it was ironic that leaders who had no understanding of political ethics were now lecturing others on morality.

He said Uddhav Thackeray and Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had no right to speak on ethics after turning their back on Fadnavis despite contesting the 2019 polls in alliance with the BJP.

"MNS has extended support to the BJP-Shiv Sena Mahayuti in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation for development and Hindutva," Ban said, and accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of misleading people on the issue.

Voters across Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra had given a clear mandate to the Mahayuti, he said.

ALSO READ: Bihar: Muslims donate land for World's largest Ramayan Temple

The BJP leader also targeted Raut over his recent remarks in support of some religious leaders, alleging that the Sena (UBT) leader's concern for the seers had surfaced only after electoral defeats.

He claimed that the Sena (UBT) leadership had remained silent after the killing of two sadhus in Palghar in 2020, when it was in power.