BMC Mayor Krishna Chakraborty quits, says board has become ‘defunct’
Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Krishna Chakraborty resigned on Thursday, saying she was unable to provide services to the people in the present circumstances.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT has stepped up its attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of undermining Mumbai’s Marathi identity during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election campaign.
In a sharply worded editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said Mumbai’s character, culture, and workforce were being deliberately sidelined for political gain.
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The editorial, titled Vada-Pav Zindabad, takes direct aim at remarks made by the Chief Minister on employment and local livelihoods during campaigning for civic polls scheduled on January 15.
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‘Vada-Pav is labour, dignity and survival’
The Sena described the humble vada pav as more than street food. It called it a symbol of the Marathi working class and a source of income for thousands of families across the city.
The editorial accused the state government of failing to protect Maharashtra’s industries, while showing disdain for local culture.
It criticised the Chief Minister for allegedly belittling the vada pav economy at a recent joint rally. The piece contrasted this with leaders in other states who celebrate local food traditions.
“Those who hate the sweat of the common man will never understand the greatness of Vada-Pav,” the editorial said.
It added, “The Vada-Pav industry has lit the stoves (chulhas) in thousands of Marathi homes. To insult it is to insult the hard-working common man. This time, the haters of Maharashtra should be ‘fried and roasted’ in the boiling oil of the Vada-Pav stall.”
The Sena argued that while foods like Bihar’s litti chokha or Karnataka’s benne dosa are proudly promoted, Maharashtra’s own zunka-bhakar and vada pav are being mocked.
The editorial also said the snack has travelled far beyond Mumbai, becoming a global symbol of Marathi labour, with stalls now found in cities such as New York and London.
Jobs row, Gujarat shift and BMC battle
Questioning the government’s employment claims, the editorial accused the BJP of shifting major projects away from Mumbai.
“Fadnavis says they will provide ‘employment, not Vada-Pav.’ But where will this employment come from if you are sending all the projects to Gujarat?” it asked.
The Sena alleged that Mumbai is being deliberately detached from its Marathi roots to make this shift easier.
It also criticised BJP leader K Annamalai for saying Mumbai is an “international city” that does not belong only to Maharashtra.
The editorial questioned the silence of Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, calling it a “surrender of Maharashtra’s pride.”
With voting a day away, the Sena described the BMC contest as a fight driven by “muscle and money”.
It alleged that outsiders were being brought in to intimidate Marathi voters and claimed instances of cash distribution by BJP workers across several wards.
Drawing a contrast between recent rallies, the editorial said the Mahayuti event at Shivaji Park saw empty chairs, while joint appearances by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray drew massive crowds in areas like Lalbaug, Parel, and Worli.
The Sena ended with a warning that the “Marathi Manoos” would not trade dignity, loyalty or the city’s future for money in the final days before polling.
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