'Marathi is my language, Hindutva our aatma': Ahead of BMC polls, Devendra Fadnavis targets UBT–MNS; predicts Mahayuti sweep

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday slammed UBT-MNS coalition led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj for deliberately attempting to fuel the "Marathi vs Non-Marathi" narrative during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Speaking to news agency ANI about attempts to polarise voters on linguistic lines, the chief minister said, "Marathi is my language. There must be development for the Marathi language."


However, he questioned the opposition's definition of "development for the Marathi man," asking whether it meant pushing Marathi-speaking people out of Mumbai or resorting to violence against workers. "We brought the Marathi man back to Mumbai by creating jobs through infrastructure projects and built homes for the people," he said, adding that voters are aware of these efforts.




Fadnavis also addressed the Hindutva debate, stating that Hindutva is the BJP's "soul" and has never been used merely as an electoral slogan. He criticised rivals for distancing themselves from Hindutva for vote-bank politics and said they must answer to the people for misleading Marathi asmita (identity).

Fadnavis claimed that his party has never sought votes by "flaunting Hindutva," describing the ideology as its very "soul."

He said Hindutva is deeply ingrained in Marathi society and that his party respects the traditions and beliefs of every community.

Taking an indirect swipe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over his recent remarks regarding a woman wearing a hijab becoming the mayor, Fadnavis said that making claims about installing a mayor in hijab after forming an alliance with "Marathi Muslims" misleads the identity (asmita) of the Marathi people.

"But when someone forms an alliance with 'Marathi Muslims' and claims they will install a mayor wearing a hijab, and misleads the identity (Asmita) of the Marathi people, at that time, we have to explain what Hindutva really is. That is when we place the talk of Hindutva before the people," Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis also targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of abandoning Hindutva to appease a particular community for electoral gains. Addressing the issue of loudspeakers outside worship places, the Chief Minister claimed that his government had fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's long-standing demand by ensuring their removal in accordance with the law and Supreme Court guidelines.

"To distance oneself from Hindutva just for votes and to attract a particular community... Uddhav Thackeray truly needs to answer for this. Removing loudspeakers was Balasaheb's dream. We used the law and the Supreme Court to get loudspeakers removed. It is now clear that regardless of whose government comes to power in the future, loudspeakers cannot be reinstalled. But those who claimed they would reinstall loudspeakers after coming to power are now 'licking boots' (acting as sycophants). They should be ashamed," he said.

The chief minister further highlighted that the Mahayuti alliance entered the civic poll campaign in a "serious and professional" manner from day one. He underlined that the BJP-led alliance fielded candidates from ordinary backgrounds, including vegetable vendors, middle-class individuals, advocates, and even people without their own homes. According to him, the campaign received an overwhelming public response, driven by the work showcased before voters. Fadnavis expressed confidence that Mahayuti would secure a majority and claim mayoral posts in 26 of the 29 municipal corporations going to the polls.

The remarks come as Maharashtra heads into civic polls across 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Voting for the BMC election 2026 will be held on January 15 from 7.30am to 5.30pm across 227 wards, with counting scheduled for January 16.