With the announcement of municipal corporation elections expected shortly, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, deriding it as the “Builder Janata Party”.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Thackeray said the State Election Commission was likely to announce elections to 29 municipal corporations soon but expressed concern over the voter lists, pointing out that the final rolls were yet to be published.
“The Election Commission is expected to announce the elections anytime, but the final voter list is still not out. We have raised this issue with the State Election Commission and are awaiting clarity before the process moves forward,” he said.
Taking aim at the BJP-led government’s welfare claims, Thackeray said key promises remained unfulfilled. Referring to the Ladki Bahin scheme, he alleged that the promised ₹2,100 assistance had not reached beneficiaries.
“The government has made big announcements, but none of them have translated on the ground. The ₹2,100 promised under the Ladki Bahin scheme has not been given, and farmers are still waiting for loan waivers,” he said, adding, “All these announcements are bogus. I will expose them one by one.”
On the long-pending issue of the pagdi system, Thackeray stressed the need for strong legal safeguards for tenants. Questioning why the matter continued to be stuck in court, he said the government must shed its “ego” and explain the delay.
“The pagdi system has been hanging fire for years. Tenants need legal protection. Why is this issue still stuck in court? The government should keep its ego aside and tell people why nothing is moving,” he said.
Reiterating his criticism of the ruling dispensation, Thackeray alleged that government policies were being framed to favour builders rather than ordinary citizens.
“Every policy seems to benefit builders, not the common Mumbaikar. That is why I call them the ‘Builder Janata Party’,” he remarked.
Raising concerns over police housing, Thackeray said ₹650 crore had been allocated for the project during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, but the initiative had since been stalled.
“Funds were sanctioned for police housing during the MVA government, but the project has been put on hold. Retired police personnel deserve housing in Mumbai and should not be forced to leave the city after serving it for decades,” he said.
Thackeray also flagged land-related issues in Mumbai’s suburbs, noting that areas such as Dahisar and Juhu fall under high-frequency radar zones and defence land. Despite assurances over the past ten years, he said there had been no tangible progress.
“When the Chief Minister was asked about this, he said the high-frequency radar area had been shifted to Gorai. But even now, there is no clarity or official mention regarding land allocation in Juhu,” Thackeray said.
Stating that these unresolved issues exposed the gap between the BJP’s claims and ground realities, Thackeray said his party would continue to raise them publicly in the run-up to the civic elections.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission is scheduled to hold a press conference around 4 pm on Monday and is expected to announce the municipal corporation elections.
