Mumbai:
With elections marked soon on Mumbai's calendar, politicians are upping the ante, giving fresh expression to the locals vs immigrants battle.
The city votes in February 2012 for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is one of the richest municipal bodies in the country with an annual budget of Rs 21000 crore, and is currently controlled by the Shiv Sena.
If the focus for Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is to seek the vote of the Marathi manoos, then for the Congress-NCP alliance is not far behind in trying to woo the North Indian voter.
Converted Sena member Sanjay Nirupam, now a Congressman, said on Monday in Nagpur that immigrants - North Indians from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - who handle the city's services are the ones who keep Mumbai moving. "If we decide not to go to work then Mumbai will come to a standstill," said the MP.
Cue Uddhav Thackeray, Executive President of the Shiv Sena, who warned that his party would make Mr Nirupam or anyone who makes similar statements "swallow their teeth."
It was left to the Chief Minister to strike a conciliatory note - he did so by making it clear his party does not endorse Mr Nirupam's remarks. "People from all over the country stay in Mumbai... no one can stop Mumbai," said Prithviraj Chavan, the Chief Minister of the Maharashtra government.
For the Shiv Sena, the principal opposition party in the state, it is crucial to once again gain control over the civic body, especially since they have been routed by the Congress-NCP combine in the last three consecutive assembly elections in Maharashtra. On the other hand, Uddhav's estranged cousin Raj Thackeray who broke away from the Sena and formed his owned party - the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena - is equally determined to make his mark.
If Raj's MNS does spectacularly well in these elections, observers believe, the possibility of a political re-alignment in Maharashtra only increases, with the BJP and MNS joining hands for the next assembly elections in 2014. The likelihood of this taking place also depends on the marriage between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, which hasn't seen happy days in the past several years.
The city votes in February 2012 for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is one of the richest municipal bodies in the country with an annual budget of Rs 21000 crore, and is currently controlled by the Shiv Sena.
If the focus for Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is to seek the vote of the Marathi manoos, then for the Congress-NCP alliance is not far behind in trying to woo the North Indian voter.
Converted Sena member Sanjay Nirupam, now a Congressman, said on Monday in Nagpur that immigrants - North Indians from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - who handle the city's services are the ones who keep Mumbai moving. "If we decide not to go to work then Mumbai will come to a standstill," said the MP.
Cue Uddhav Thackeray, Executive President of the Shiv Sena, who warned that his party would make Mr Nirupam or anyone who makes similar statements "swallow their teeth."
It was left to the Chief Minister to strike a conciliatory note - he did so by making it clear his party does not endorse Mr Nirupam's remarks. "People from all over the country stay in Mumbai... no one can stop Mumbai," said Prithviraj Chavan, the Chief Minister of the Maharashtra government.
For the Shiv Sena, the principal opposition party in the state, it is crucial to once again gain control over the civic body, especially since they have been routed by the Congress-NCP combine in the last three consecutive assembly elections in Maharashtra. On the other hand, Uddhav's estranged cousin Raj Thackeray who broke away from the Sena and formed his owned party - the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena - is equally determined to make his mark.
If Raj's MNS does spectacularly well in these elections, observers believe, the possibility of a political re-alignment in Maharashtra only increases, with the BJP and MNS joining hands for the next assembly elections in 2014. The likelihood of this taking place also depends on the marriage between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, which hasn't seen happy days in the past several years.
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