Maharashtra State Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s ‘Matoshree’ residence on Friday, a couple of days after he met NCP founder and supremo Sharad Pawar, in what is being seen as a move to consolidate the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The talks between Sapkal, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray assume importance in view of the forthcoming local civic bodies elections that would include elections to all the 29 municipal corporations, which accounts for more than 60% of Maharashtra’s population. Besides the 29 municipal corporations, 257 municipal councils, 26 zilla parishads, 289 panchayat samitis would go to polls, whenever the local civic body elections are held.
All nine municipal corporations of the MMR including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Panvel, Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar are due for polls including the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is the richest and one of the biggest civic bodies in Asia.
This year, the BMC presented a whopping Rs 74,427 crore budget for the financial year 2025-26. The total BMC reserves stand at Rs 81,744.42 crore. Such budgets are bigger than that of many small states in India. The BMC has been divided into seven zones which have three to five wards each. Mumbai has been divided into 24 administrative wards which have been further sub-divided into 227 civic electoral wards or constituencies.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Sapkal said it was a “courtesy call” during which several issues were discussed positively.
Sapkal stated that the thoughts of the late Prabodhankar Thackeray, who is Balasaheb Thackeray’s father and Uddhav Thackeray’s grandfather, remain relevant even today. In his writings, Prabodhankar Thackeray explained what ‘Maharashtra Dharma’ stood for.
“Contrary to the ideology outlined in Prabodhankar Thackeray’s book ‘Devancha Dharm Va Dharmachi Devale’, the BJP today is on a path of religious destruction. The BJP is against democracy and the Constitution. To protect democracy, the Constitution, and ‘Maharashtra Dharma’ inspired by Shivaji, Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar, a united struggle must be waged in the coming times. Discussions were also held regarding the forthcoming local civic body elections,” Sapkal said.
Sapkal said that Congress has authorised its local leadership to make alliance-related decisions for these elections. Once the official notification is issued, allied parties will come together and decide accordingly.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is out to destroy ‘Maharashtra Dharma’ as defined by Prabodhankar Thackeray. The BJP is dismantling the Constitution and the democratic system. To counter this, the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the INDIA alliance are working together. Congress will stand with any party that joins the fight against the BJP. We are with Shiv Sena to protect democracy, the Constitution, and Maharashtra Dharma,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal said.