Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Wednesday termed the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as “totally corrupt”, which he said stopped all good work. He appealed to party workers to ensure that the next mayor of Mumbai is from the BJP. Addressing a function organized by the BJP here, Nadda claimed that the US, China and Japan are now facing economic crisis as they spent money on giving away freebies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While the Government of India introduced a package of Rs 20 lakh crore during that period to boost infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors,” he added.
Nadda alleged that there is rampant corruption from top to bottom in the so-called Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
He alleged, “All the development works had come to a standstill. That government used to block all the works of development and infrastructure development.
He said that this scenario has changed as the double engine government of NDA under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking care of the people of Maharashtra and fulfilling all their aspirations and wishes.
He said that the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government is solving the issues of the people.
“Through Direct Benefit Transfer, the Modi government has so far transferred Rs 25 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, that too by getting rid of middlemen. Money from the exchequer is going directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Various schemes Nadda said.
He claimed that the Communist Party of China has around nine crore members while the BJP has 18 crore registered members and party workers. “We are the biggest political party in the world,” he said.
Later, while addressing the party officials in a meeting, Nadda said, ‘We all need to work in such a way that the next mayor of Mumbai city will be from BJP.
Pointing to those present, he said, “With your strength, we need not think twice about this resolution (installing a BJP mayor).”
Nadda advised BJP workers to develop the skill of listening to people.
He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come up with various skill development courses for people. Our party workers should develop some skills including the ability to listen to people.”
The BJP chief is on a two-day visit to Maharashtra starting Wednesday during which he will meet state BJP leaders.
He met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence ‘Varsha’.
Speaking on Nadda’s tour, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that wherever Nadda goes, the BJP loses.
“Nadda stayed in Karnataka to campaign for his party, but he lost. Now he is coming to Maharashtra. We welcome him. Wherever he goes, the BJP loses,” he told reporters in Nashik.
However, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane hit back at Raut, accusing him of targeting persons in constitutional posts and inciting the administration against the government.
“These are all signs of an urban Naxal,” claimed Rane.
Nadda’s comments about Mumbai’s next mayor are likely to ruffle the feathers of the estranged ally-turned-foe Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), which has won Mumbai citizens’ elections for over two decades till March 2022 as the Shiv Sena (undivided). governed the body. And considers Mumbai as its stronghold.
The last mayor of Mumbai before the five-year term of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ends in March 2022 was Kishori Pednekar, who belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. The state government appointed an administrator in the BMC as elections could not be held before the end of the five-year term.
In the 2017 BMC elections, the BJP won 82 out of 227 seats, just two behind the Shiv Sena (undivided).