Fadnavis Declares Mumbai's Next Mayor Will Be Marathi & Hindu

Responding to critics who claim the BJP lacks support among the Marathi-speaking population, Fadnavis dismissed these notions as misconceptions during an interview.

"Do not assume that the Marathi vote bank belongs to others and not the BJP. If Marathi voters hadn't supported us, we wouldn't have seen our candidates winning across three consecutive elections," he said.

He said that regardless of anyone's claims, the BJP remains the number one party.

"Both Marathi and non-Marathi citizens are our voters," he noted.

He further emphasised that the soul of the city remains unchanged.

"No one can strip Mumbai of its Marathi identity. People may come from everywhere, but the 'Marathipan' of this city is permanent," he said.

Fadnavis also took a sharp dig at the newly formed alliance between Raj and Uddhav Thackeray.

While mockingly taking "credit" for bringing the brothers together-something Balasaheb Thackeray had desired-he claimed the move had come too late to impact the polls.

He argued that if the brothers had united in 2009, the results would have been different. He claimed their combined vote share has diminished significantly, meaning the alliance will not pose a threat to the BJP-Shinde combine.

He suggested that the merger of their bases has created more confusion among their respective grassroots workers than strength for their campaign.

Highlighting the cultural fabric of the city, CM Fadnavis noted that while the demographics of the workforce in Mumbai have evolved over decades, the traditions remain rooted.

"Mumbai's culture, specifically its traditional Ganeshotsav, must be preserved. We will not let the city's direction or heritage waver," he said.

He reiterated with the firm declaration that the Mayor of Mumbai will be from the MahaYuti.

"He will be Hindu, and he will be Marathi," the Chief Minister reiterated.

The upcoming polls feature a restructured political landscape.

In a notable shift, estranged brothers Raj Thackeray (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena - UBT) have allied, backed by Sharad Pawar's NCP.

On the other side, the ruling Mahayuti consists of the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, while Ajit Pawar's NCP is contesting independently. Additionally, the Congress has joined forces with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

- IANS