A mid a tussle over the Mumbai mayor's post, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday claimed the phones of newly-elected members of the BJP and Shiv Sena, who are "locked" in a luxury hotel, are being tapped by the ruling party. He said the corporators of the BJP are being kept under surveillance by workers of that party.
The BJP dismissed Raut's allegations, emphasising that the party doesn't resort to such activities as it trusts its corporators. Raut claimed the mayor of Mumbai is being decided by Delhi, which is an insult to Maharashtra, slamming the Shiv Sena headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. "BJP workers are monitoring (movements) of every corporator of the party. The BJP is also tap-ping phones of its own corporators," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP told reporters. Even phones of Shiv Sena corporators "locked" in a luxury hotel are being tapped, he added.
After the results, the Shiv Sena shifted its newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel in the city, citing the need for an orientation workshop on the functioning of the civic body.Eknath Shinde has been insisting that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from Mahayuti. However, citing the emotions of Shivsainiks, Eknath Shinde has hinted at Shiv Sena's claim to the Mumbai mayor's post. The Deputy CM has projected it as a mark of respect to Bal Thackeray in his birth centenary year. The BJP and Shinde-led Sena, who fought the 227-member BMC election in alliance, won a clear majority, securing 89 and 29 seats, respectively.Adding suspense to the power tussle, Uddhav Thackeray, whose Sena UBT emerged as the second single largest party, remarked that his party could have its mayor if "Dev" (God) was willing.