Shiv Sena starts poaching BJP corporators

Shiv Sena is going to the BMC Elections 2017 with a single point agenda i.e. of Mission 115. To achieve this, it will require the Sena to break into the traditional voter base of the BJP i.e. the Gujarati and the Marwari community. For this, the party plans to rope in the sitting BJP corporators from the Gujarati community to join its party in the Kandivali, Malad, Mulund and Ghatkopar areas.

 

As per a source, a few corporators are set to join the Shiv Sena, post Diwali.

 

Shiv Sena spokesperson Dr Neelam Gorhe claimed that party chief Uddhav Thackeray had clearly indicated the Sena would contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election independently. “He has taken opinions from party ministers, members of Parliament and legislators about the fate of alliance with the BJP during a meeting held on Thursday,” said Dr Gorhe.

 

The face for Shiv Sena for the Mumbai Civic Body Elections in February 2017 will be Aditya Thackeray. “Aditya Thackeray has taken the initiative aggressively. He is meeting every ward-level party functionary to understand the political issues with BJP. The Sena has bad experience with the BJP ‘back-stabbing’ it,” the source said.

 

“The Gujarati community has sizeable voters in Mulund, Ghatkopar, Malad and Kandivali. Gujarati and Marwadi communities are traditional voters of BJP till the last Assembly election. However, this community is feeling guilty for voting for the BJP,” said the source. It further elaborated that, “They are mainly traders community and they felt the ‘inspector raj’ would end during the Modi and BJP rule. On the contrary, traders are fed up with harassment by income tax officers and now with sales tax inspectors.”