Mumbai: Having toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government this year with the help of rebel Shiv Sainiks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra is going big with its Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to woo voters.
With the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls likely to take place later this year, the BJP is focusing all its attention on wresting the Mumbai civic body, touted to be India’s richest, from the Shiv Sena, which has controlled it for 25 years.
The 10-day Ganesh festival, among the most important in the state, began Wednesday and is being celebrated on a grand scale across Maharashtra after a gap of two Covid-ridden years.
The BJP has put up banners across Mumbai, launched special buses and trains for the ‘Marathi manoos’ travelling home to their villages in the Konkan region for the festival and also organised a competition for the best Ganesh pandal under the banner of the party’s Mumbai unit.
In a veiled attack on the ousted MVA government, some of the BJP’s banners thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying “Our government is in power now, Hindu festivals are out of trouble now”.
The MVA government had announced curbs on large-scale festivities in the state due to Covid. However, this year, the Eknath Shinde-Fadnavis government announced that all festivals will be celebrated without any restrictions.
“This will be the biggest Ganeshotsav competition in Mumbai. Our Akhil Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mahasangh organises such competitions every year but, this time around, BJP Mumbai has participated to make it grander,” said BJP MLA Prasad Lad at a press conference Monday.
Speaking to ThePrint, Ashish Shelar, BJP Mumbai president, said: “Every year we do these things. But this year we are doing it on a grand scale. We feel we have to serve our Konkani people, as we do every year.”
However, another BJP leader who did not wish to be named agreed that the BJP is sounding the bugle for the BMC polls. Hence the grand scale celebrations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to reach Mumbai on 5 September and visit Lalbaugcha Raja, one of the most popular Ganesh idols located in the city. He is also expected to hold meetings with key BJP members and meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his trip.
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300 buses, ‘Modi Express’
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Monday flagged off 300 special buses, arranged by BJP Mumbai, for people travelling to the Konkan villages from Mumbai.
“Many Konkani people who work in Mumbai go to their villages at any cost during the Ganesh festival. We the BJP have, therefore, arranged special buses for them so that their travel is smooth,” said Fadnavis, speaking to media persons Tuesday.
Additionally, the BJP’s local units in suburban Mumbai, too, have arranged buses for people to travel to their hometowns and villages for the festival.
Apart from buses, a special ‘Modi Express’ train was also flagged off Tuesday by MLA Nitesh Rane for devotees travelling from Dadar to Sindhudurg in Konkan.
Meanwhile, in the city itself, Ganesh Chaturthi pandals will take part in a competition organised by BJP Mumbai for best pandal for a cash prize — Rs 3 lakh for first prize, Rs 1.5 lakh for second, and Rs 75,000 for first. The pandals will be judged on best idol, best decoration, and cleanest surroundings.
Also, 11 others will receive consolation prizes of Rs 11,000 and all those competing will get a certificate of participation. A special website has been designed for participants to enroll for the contest.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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