MNS leader claims Sena (UBT) corporators received Rs 1 cr to support BJP in Chandrapur

Indicating that the bonhomie between the parties led by the Thackeray cousins was under increasing strain, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande on Thursday alleged that the Shiv Sena UBT corporators in Chandrapur received Rs 1 crore each to support the BJP in the mayoral election.

Indicating that the bonhomie between the parties led by the Thackeray cousins was under increasing strain, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande on Thursday alleged that the Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators in Chandrapur received Rs 1 crore each to support the BJP in the mayoral election. Both the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the BJP rubbished the allegation. The Congress and Sena (UBT), which are part of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, have been bickering after the BJP, with support from Sena (UBT) corporators, managed to install its mayor in Chandrapur municipal corporation despite the Congress emerging as the largest party in the civic elections. Deshpande, who heads the Mumbai unit of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, said the Shiv Sena (UBT) deems it correct behaviour when it supports the BJP, but when the MNS does the same, it is considered wrong. He was referring to the local MNS leadership in Kalyan-Dombivli extending support to the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde following the civic elections, a move criticised by Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. ''Every Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator received Rs 1 crore in Chandrapur, apart from other offers. An independent corporator was given Rs 50 lakh,'' Deshpande claimed. Notably, the Sena (UBT) and MNS fought the civic elections in Mumbai in alliance, but failed to thwart the BJP-Shiv Sena from seizing control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Chandrapur district president Sandeep Girhe said he would resign if Deshpande furnished proof of the party corporators receiving money. Girhe also accused Congress leaders of insulting the local Sena (UBT) leaders. Deshpande, meanwhile, also targeted Sanjay Raut, asking whether he was kept in the dark or he was wearing a blindfold during the developments in Chandrapur. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said nobody took Deshpande's allegations seriously, and they only reflected the growing rift between the Sena (UBT) and MNS. In a related development, Sanjay Raut met the MNS president Raj Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday. Talking to reporters, Raut blamed the Congress for the setback in Chandrapur, and said it should have held discussions more seriously with the local Sena (UBT) corporators. The local Congress factions led by MP Pratibha Dhanorkar and Vijay Wadettiwar failed to reach a consensus, Raut said, adding that he has also spoken to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal on the issue. ''Uddhav Thackeray is personally looking into it. Corporators from Chandrapur will be summoned to Mumbai in a day or two. Uddhav Thackeray's stand was that under no circumstances the party should do anything that will help the BJP, and that stand continues even today,'' the Rajya Sabha MP added. The faction-riven Congress on Tuesday suffered a major embarrassment after a surprise alliance between rivals Sena (UBT) and the BJP led to the election of a BJP mayor in Chandrapur. BJP's Sangeeta Khandekar won the election by a single vote, defeating Congress candidate Vaishali Mahadule. Sena (UBT) corporator Prashant Danav was elected deputy mayor. The development raised serious questions over Opposition unity and the viability of the MVA. Chandrapur is one of the few municipal corporations where the Congress emerged as the largest party and was poised to secure the mayor's post. In the elections for the 66-member civic body, the Congress won 27 seats, followed closely by the BJP with 23 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)