‘Haan bilkul’: Fadnavis says Mumbai’s next mayor will be Marathi and Hindu

Devendra Fadnavis

• Fadnavis claims Mumbai's next mayor will be a Marathi Hindu before civic elections.
• He claimed BJP's stance is cultural, not divisive, amid Marathi vs non-Marathi debate.
• BMC elections are set for January 15 with parties vying for diverse voter bases

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asserted that the next mayor of Mumbai would be a Marathi Hindu, as he accused the opposition of selective outrage over comments made by AIMIM leader Waris Pathan.

Speaking at Aaj Tak’s Mumbai Manthan event, Fadnavis said the opposition had remained silent after Pathan remarked that a “burqa-clad practising Muslim” could become Mumbai’s mayor. He said the BJP’s response was rooted in what he described as cultural and political reality, not divisive politics.

When asked if the Mumbai mayor’s post was reserved for Marathi Hindus, Fadnavis replied, “Haan bilkul (yes, of course).” He explained that local identity naturally plays a role in municipal leadership.

“If municipal elections are held in Chennai, people will say the mayor should be Tamil. Similarly, in Mumbai, the mayor will be Marathi,” he said, rejecting claims that the BJP seeks to pit Marathi and non-Marathi voters against each other.

The remarks come days before the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, scheduled for January 15.

Mumbai’s long-standing Marathi versus non-Marathi debate was recently reignited after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh called for efforts to elect a “north Indian” and “Hindi-speaking” mayor in the Mira Bhayandar municipal corporation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The statement drew sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Defending Singh, Fadnavis said north Indians should not be labelled as outsiders. However, he questioned why similar outrage was not directed at Pathan’s remarks.

“After that comment, there was silence. That is why we responded by saying the mayor here will be Hindu and Marathi,” the chief minister said.

Projecting confidence ahead of the civic polls, Fadnavis said the BJP’s voter base cuts across communities. Referring to the reunion of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray ahead of the elections, he said their coming together would not affect the BJP’s vote share.

“Everyone votes for us. Even if both brothers come together, our vote share will not decline,” he said.