BJP leaders giving Sena-led BMC programmes a miss

Amidst the strenuous relations with Shiv Sena, the BJP leaders seems to be quietly distancing itself from its alliance partner by skipping Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s functions. The party leaders have decided to boycott the inauguration ceremony of a new building of the fire brigade at Dadar to be held on Wednesday.

After the scuffle between Sena and BJP activists during the Dusshera ceremony a few days ago, relations between the two parties have reached an all-time low. The incident is likely to have impact on future developments in the civic body, said sources.

The invitation card of Dadar fire brigade building inauguration bears the names of prominent BJP leaders – deputy mayor Alka Kerkar, group leader Manoj Kotak, improvements committee chairman Prakash Gangadhare and BEST committee chairman Mohan Mithbavkar. But, the names of other top BJP leaders such as Mumbai party chief Ashish Shelar, MPs and MLAs, which normally don the BMC invitation cards for its functions, are conspicuous by its absence.

“Looking at the unsavoury incidents in the last few days, we cannot go along with Sena leaders. Hence, we have decided to skip the event to register their protest,” said a senior BJP leader in the BMC.

According to civic sources, the BJP itself has instructed the civic administration that they would not attend the BMC functions and hence not to add their names to invitation cards of its functions.

It’s not the first time the BJP leaders have stayed away from a BMC function. In June, they had boycotted the inauguration ceremony of Britannia pumping station at Reay Road. Barring deputy mayor, who attended the event as part of protocol, other prominent city leaders, including Mr Shelar, were absent despite being invited by the BMC.

Prior to this, Sena had decided to stay away from the Smart City programme, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Pune.