Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 4 : With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections approaching, political activity across the city has intensified, with parties sharpening their stacks and stepping up outreach efforts.
Mumbai BJP president Ameet Bhaskar Satam on Sunday campaigned at Juhu Beach, emphasising the inclusive nature of the Marathi language and culture, stating that anyone living in Mumbai and respecting Marathi is considered a Marathi speaker.
He alleged that opposition parties use linguistic and provincial politics to divide people, forgetting Mumbaikars' welfare after elections.
Addressing supporters, Satam underlined Mumbai's inclusive ethos while defending the Marathi language against what he called sustained political misuse. "Marathi wholeheartedly accepts everyone from any linguistic background, and we believe anyone who lives in Mumbai and respects the Marathi language is himself a Marathi," he said.
Satam alleged that the opposition repeatedly raises language issues during elections for propaganda. "There is a conspiracy to defame the Marathi language, and they (opposition) use it in every election for their propaganda, and after that, they forget Mumbaikars. They are using lingualism, provincialism and appeasement politics," he added.
He further credited the Mahayuti and BJP-led governments for Mumbai's development, stating, "Mumbaikars and Marathi people know who developed Mumbai in the last 11 years - Mahayuti, BJP and the governments of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde."
He urged voters to support BJP candidates in the BMC elections, promising continued development and welfare initiatives.
Meanwhile, the campaign rhetoric escalated further on Saturday when Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde joined Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and RPI (Athawale) leaders at a massive Mahayuti rally in Worli. Shinde launched a blistering attack on the UBT Sena, accusing it of widespread corruption in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
"Mumbai and Mumbaikars must be freed from the clutches of corruption and from the grip of greedy predators," Shinde said, alleging irregularities in garba
Calling the rally a "Clarion call against corruption," he asserted that the Mahayuti's ideology was "Mumbai first" in contrast to what he termed the opposition's "corruption first" approach.
Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.