A political storm is brewing ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh remarked that a Hindi-speaking North Indian would become Mumbai’s next mayor. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday launched a sharp counterattack, accusing the BJP of deliberately provoking sentiments and turning the mayoral race into a divisive issue. Raut said the controversy is likely to dominate the BMC poll campaign over the next fortnight.
Raut alleged that the BJP has begun preparations to appoint a “non-Marathi” mayor in Mumbai and has entrusted Kripashankar Singh with that responsibility. He accused the BJP of attempting to marginalise Marathi identity in the city, calling Singh a “mouthpiece” of the party. “This statement was not accidental but made with intent. The BJP is testing the waters and waiting for a reaction,” Raut said, adding that the party aims to replicate this strategy across Maharashtra. He further claimed that leaders such as Yogi Adityanath and Samrat Choudhary could be deployed in the campaign.
BJP senior leader Kripashankar Singh, while speaking at a public event, said, “We will give more seats to Uttar Bharatiya candidates, and the mayor in the BMC elections will be an Uttar Bharatiya.”
Sharing a video clip of Singh’s statement on social media, Raut tweeted: “भा ज पा च ठरलं, मुंबईचा महापौर उपराच! मराठी माणसा… जागा हो!” (The BJP has decided—Mumbai’s mayor will be an outsider! Marathi people… wake up!)
Raut also announced that a joint manifesto of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) would be released on Thursday, followed by joint rallies across key cities. He said Aaditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray are jointly working on the manifesto. According to Raut, joint public meetings are planned in Mira-Bhayandar, Thane, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Mumbai, with a new generation of leaders taking the lead in campaign preparations.
Taking his criticism further, Raut alleged that the BJP had no real role in Maharashtra’s political struggles and accused it of using leaders like Singh merely to woo migrant votes.
He also took a swipe at the party’s candidate selection, pointing out that the BJP has fielded Muslim candidates in some areas and sarcastically asked how leaders from rival factions would respond to that.
However, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane questioned Shiv Sena (UBT), saying that when Muslim leader Waris Pathan claimed that a Muslim would become Mumbai’s mayor, no objections were raised. “But when anyone else makes a statement, it becomes an issue. Our Chief Minister has clearly said that a Marathi manoos will be the mayor of Mumbai,” Rane said.
In a serious allegation, Raut claimed that the BJP was offering ₹5 crore along with AB forms to candidates, while the Eknath Shinde-led faction was allegedly offering ₹10 crore. He said a few leaders from his own party had filed independent nominations but denied any wrongdoing, adding that some candidates have since withdrawn their papers.
