Uddhav Thackeray Claims BMC Owes Contractors ₹3 Lakh Crore, Alleges Funds Diverted for Elections

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday claimed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is facing a massive financial crisis, alleging a deficit of nearly ₹3 lakh crore. He said payments due to contractors were allegedly misused and diverted towards election-related expenses, indirectly benefitting the Bharatiya Janata Party. Thackeray made these remarks while addressing the gathering at the release of the joint manifesto of Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), asserting that such financial irregularities pointed to an unprecedented civic scam.

Citing what he described as reliable information, Thackeray said the civic body owes contractors close to ₹3 lakh crore, raising serious questions about fund management within the BMC. He alleged that large sums were released in advance through a process he termed “advance mobilisation”, claiming these funds were later channelled into election campaigns. According to him, the alleged kickbacks from these advance payments were used to strengthen the BJP’s poll machinery. However, Thackeray added a caveat, stating he would welcome it if his claims were proven incorrect.

Referring to the financial health of the BMC during Shiv Sena’s earlier tenure, Thackeray said the civic body had built substantial reserves under his party’s administration. He claimed that fixed deposits had grown to nearly ₹92,000 crore at the time. From this amount, he explained, around ₹40,000 to ₹45,000 crore was set aside for employee pensions and gratuity, while the remaining funds were allocated for large-scale infrastructure development across Mumbai.

Thackeray further stated that key projects, including the toll-free Mumbai Coastal Road, were executed using these reserved funds during Shiv Sena’s rule. In contrast, he alleged that the present administration has project reserves of only about ₹15,000 crore, even as contractor liabilities have reportedly ballooned to ₹3 lakh crore. This sharp imbalance, he said, highlights financial mismanagement and raises concerns over transparency in the functioning of the country’s richest municipal corporation.