Shiv Sena demands suspension of Thane BJP corporators after meeting showdown

Thane: A day after the BJP accused its ally Shiv Sena of steamrolling 231 proposals in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Friday general body meeting without discussion, the Sena on Saturday hit back strongly, demanding suspension of BJP corporators for allegedly disrupting House proceedings and attempting to “gherao” Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar.

Sena corporator Manoj Shinde issued a statement accusing the BJP members of deliberately creating chaos despite prior consensus reached during an all-party meeting before the session. He said the Mayor officially declared the meeting concluded on Friday, making the BJP’s protest and sloganeering a violation of House decorum.

“How can corporators disobey the Mayor’s ruling? I have sought suspension of BJP corporators for rushing towards the Mayor’s dais,” Shinde said, adding that he would also urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan to intervene and counsel party corporators over their conduct.

Defending the clearance of proposals, Shinde said the resolutions were passed with support from all parties except the BJP and accused its ally of attempting to stall public welfare decisions.

Senior Sena leader and former Mayor Meenakshi Shinde also raised questions over the BJP conduct as the meeting schedule was unanimously finalised in the presence of all-party group leaders before the meeting.

The public sparring further exposed widening cracks within the ruling alliance in Thane, where the BJP has increasingly intensified its attacks on the Sena-led civic administration. BJP corporator Mrunal Pendse recently claimed that her party repeatedly sought answers over civic expenditure of state funds during the past three years but faced resistance instead.