Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut launched a fierce attack on Eknath Shinde’s faction, claiming that the selection of Mumbai’s next Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor is now being decided in Delhi rather than Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Raut alleged that meetings involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP top brass are finalising seat-sharing and key civic posts, marking what he called a historic humiliation for the city.

“This is the first time in history that Mumbai’s Mayor will be decided in Delhi by Amit Shah,” Raut stated sharply. He contrasted this with the past, when Mumbai’s civic leadership was determined locally. “For decades, the voice of Mumbai was heard from Mumbai itself. Now, the BJP high command is sitting in the capital, pulling the strings of our city’s highest office,” he added, accusing the Shinde camp of frequent Delhi visits to “beg” for power instead of working for Maharashtra’s welfare.

Raut did not mince words in targeting the Shinde-led group, labelling them “40 chors” (thieves) who have forsaken the self-respect that once defined Shiv Sena under Balasaheb Thackeray. Invoking the late founder’s legacy, he remarked that if Thackeray were alive, he would have strongly reprimanded them for bowing to central leadership. “In my entire political career in Mumbai, we never once went to Delhi for such things,” Raut said, emphasizing that true Shiv Sainiks never compromise the city’s autonomy.

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The comments underscore the ongoing bitter feud between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Eknath Shinde faction, which split from the parent party and allied with the BJP. Raut questioned the legitimacy of the Shinde camp’s claim to the Shiv Sena identity, asking how they could call themselves Shiv Sainiks while seeking approvals from Delhi. “These people are simply hungry for power. They have no self-respect left,” he asserted.

As negotiations for BMC’s mayor post and other key positions heat up ahead of civic body developments, Raut’s remarks have reignited debates over Mumbai’s political identity, local pride versus central influence, and the true spirit of Shiv Sena. The deepening divide continues to shape Maharashtra’s political landscape.

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