Goondaraj and self-interest politics must end’: Ravindra Chavan targets Kalani–Shiv Sena alliance ahead of UMC polls

ULHASNAGAR: Stating that Ulhasnagar has long suffered under “goondaraj” and now needs politics rooted in development and clean leadership, BJP Maharashtra state president Ravindra Chavan on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Kalani family ahead of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) elections. Without naming them directly, Chavan described their local-level alliance with the Shiv Sena as an arrangement driven purely by self-interest.


Addressing a meeting of BJP workers in the city, Chavan said the Kalani group, which he termed the BJP’s political opponent, has aligned with the party’s ally Shiv Sena only to safeguard its own interests and to contest against the BJP. He termed the tie-up a “selfish alliance” and urged party workers to expose its real intent before the voters.

“We do not want to speak against our ally (Shiv Sena), but it is our responsibility to explain to the voters how our opponents, for their own benefit, have joined hands with them only to fight against the BJP,” Chavan said. He asked workers to convey this message clearly at the booth level.

Calling for dedication and sacrifice from party cadres, Chavan said that if the BJP wants to form the next civic body and install its Mayor in Ulhasnagar, every booth must be treated as a battlefield. “We must reach every voter and explain what the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state have done for the common man,” he said.

Referring to internal surveys, Chavan claimed that the BJP is expected to win more than 50 seats in the civic polls but stressed that the target should be to secure more than 51 per cent of the vote share. “For that, every worker must work tirelessly,” he added.

Chavan also said he has urged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to give special attention to Ulhasnagar’s development. “Nagpur was developed as a smart city under his leadership, but Ulhasnagar has different problems. I have requested him to adopt Ulhasnagar, and he has assured us of full support for the city’s development,” he said.

Highlighting the concerns of traders and businessmen, Chavan said only the BJP can provide a fear-free environment for trade and business. He asserted that goondaraj has been witnessed in Ulhasnagar and stressed that if such a system is to be eradicated, the city must be handed over to leaders with a clean image and progressive thinking.

“Ulhasnagar has seen goondaraj. If we want to end it, the city must be entrusted to those who believe in clean politics. Vote for change,” Chavan said, appealing to citizens to support the BJP to transform the city’s image and free it from fear-based politics.