BMC power tussle: Amid Mumbai mayor race Sanjay Raut claims newly-elected Sena, BJP corporators phones being tapped

Amid ongoing power-tussle and suspense within Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)-led Mahayuti for the mayoral post in BrhihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest civic body in the country, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has made a claim that the phones of newly-elected corporators from both the BJP and Shiv Sena are being tapped.

Raut also claimed that the newly-elected members of the BJP and Shiv Sena are being kept under surveillance.

“BJP workers are monitoring the (movements) of every corporator of the party. The BJP is also tapping phones of its own corporators. Even phones of Shiv Sena corporators ‘locked’ in a luxury hotel are being tapped,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP told reporters.

However, the BJP dismissed Raut's allegations, emphasising that the party doesn't resort to such activities as it trusts its corporators, reported PTI.

"We don't need phone tapping, but Raut should clarify who was tapping Eknath Shinde's and Uday Samant's phones when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (led by Uddhav Thackeray) was in power. We have strong support from corporators, and are not engaged in such activities," said Maharashtra BJP media in-charge Navnath Ban.

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, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose UBT emerged as the second single largest party, remarked that his party could have its mayor if "Dev" (God) was willing.