The BJP is facing difficulties in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. These difficulties appear to be caused not by anyone else but by statements made by its own leaders.

Elections for 29 municipal bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are scheduled for January 15, 2026. Ahead of this election, the Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be facing difficulties. These difficulties have been created not by anyone else but by statements made by its own leaders

In fact, during the campaign, Annamalai, the president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had said that Mumbai does not belong only to Maharashtra. The former IPS officer said, "Bombay (Mumbai) is not a city of Maharashtra, but an international city. Its budget is ₹75,000 crore. Chennai's budget is ₹8,000 crore, and Bengaluru's budget is ₹19,000 crore."

His statement sparked protests within political circles. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray also issued controversial statements in response to Annamalai.

Not only Annamalai's statement, but also a political comment by Kripashankar Singh, a former BJP MP from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, has caused a stir. During the election campaign, Singh had said that the mayor of Mira Bhayander should be a North Indian.

He had said that enough Hindi-speaking councillors should be elected so that the municipal corporation could have a Hindi-speaking and North Indian mayor. This statement gave the Shiv Sena (led by Uddhav Thackeray) and the Raj Thackeray-led MNS an issue.

MNS had replied

MNS leader Avinash Jadhav had said in response to Kripashankar Singh's statement that the BJP's policies and intentions have become clear. The BJP only wants to secure Marathi votes for power.

However, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear on several occasions that the party has never compromised on Marathi identity and never will. During various election campaigns, the CM has stated that the BJP is the voice of Marathi people and their land.

Meanwhile, political experts claim that BJP leaders' statements could prove helpful in bringing together voters who have drifted away for various reasons. It will be interesting to see what impact these statements have on the public.

 PC:ABPNews