"Bihar toh sirf jhanki hai, pura Maharashtra ka corporation dekhna baki hai": Waris Pathan says, "if nobody joins will go solo for BMC polls"

By Amir Khan
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 17 : As political parties gear up to stake a claim to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan warned that his party might contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections solo if no other party joins hands with them.
This statement comes amid talks of possible alliances and the upcoming BMC polls. Pathan's statement, "Bihar toh sirf jhanki hai, pura Maharashtra ka corporation dekhna baki hai," suggests that the AIMIM aims to build a strong presence in Maharashtra's local politics.
"We are fully prepared. If nobody joins, the AIMIM will contest the elections across Maharashtra with full strength, and many of our candidates will win and enter the corporations. On one side is the Mahayuti alliance; on the other is the Maha Vikas Aghadi. We are not part of either. Bihar toh sirf jhanki hai, pura Maharashtra ka corporation dekhna baki hai (Bihar was just a glimpse; the real picture of the corporations in all of Maharashtra is yet to be seen)," said Waris Pathan, the party's national spokesperson said regarding upcoming BMC polls.
Reacting to Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai chief Ameet Satam's earlier statement that they "won't allow any Khan to become Mumbai mayor," Pathan retorted by asking, "Why can't a Pathan become the mayor of Mumbai? Or shaikh or Sayyed? If you talk to Amit Satam about development today, he has no answers. Farmers are committing suicide, but there is no answer regarding what package has been provided. No answer on rising inflation."
Elections to major civic bodies were announced by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday. Municipal Corporations polls in major cities such as Nagpur, Nashik, Vasai-Virar, Thane, Mumbai, and others will be held on 15 January and counting of votes will happen on 16 January.
Prepping for the polls, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed happiness over the election dates being announced, saying that it is "not appropriate for a municipal corporation to be run by administrators for an extended period."
"I am very happy that the State Election Commission has announced the elections. We welcome this decision. In a democracy, it is not appropriate for a municipal corporation to be run by administrators for an extended period. We are confident that the people will give us a mandate after seeing our development work," Fadnavis said.
Speaking on seat sharing within the Mahayuti alliance, the Chief Minister said the ruling Mahayuti alliance is working to contest the elections together in most places across the state.
However, in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Fadnavi said discussions with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar have already taken place, and that both parties may contest separately in the region.
"Ajit Pawar and we cannot contest the elections together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Both of us understand politics well enough to know that if we run together, it would benefit a third party, and we do not want to allow that. We will contest against each other, but it will be a friendly fight," he said.
The Chief Minister further stated that Shiv Sena will largely remain part of the alliance across most locations in the upcoming civic polls.