The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray has intensified its criticism of BJP leader K Annamalai and has also questioned why the Maharashtra unit of the BJP did not oppose remarks that were described as hostile to the state. The controversy began after Annamalai visited Mumbai last week to campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. During his visit he addressed party workers and spoke about what he called the need for a triple engine administration. He said this should include Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre Devendra Fadnavis at the state level and a BJP mayor in the civic body.
While speaking at the event Annamalai made comments about Mumbai that triggered a political storm. He said Mumbai should be seen as a global city rather than only a Maharashtra city. He highlighted the city’s large budget of Rs 75,000 crore and compared it with Chennai and Bengaluru which have far smaller civic budgets. He argued that such a massive financial outlay requires skilled administrators who can manage development and public funds.
The remarks drew strong reactions from the Thackeray brothers who have come together for the upcoming BMC polls. Uddhav Thackeray said Annamalai’s words revealed what he claimed was the BJP’s hidden agenda. Raj Thackeray also attacked Annamalai and referred to him with the nickname Rasmalai. He questioned Annamalai’s authority to speak on issues related to Mumbai and Maharashtra.
Annamalai responded sharply to the criticism. He asked who Raj Thackeray was to threaten him and said he was proud to be the son of a farmer. He claimed that his opponents were holding meetings only to abuse him and suggested this showed that he had gained political importance. He also reacted to reported threats against him in Mumbai. He said he would still visit the city and dared his critics to act on their warnings. He added that he would not be intimidated by such language and that fear would have kept him confined to his village if he allowed it to rule him.
The BJP leader also rejected the claim that praising Mumbai or Indian leaders meant disrespect to regional identity. He said that admiring leaders such as Kamaraj did not make them any less Tamil. He also said calling Mumbai a world class city did not take away credit from Maharashtrians who built it. He accused his critics of being ignorant and of twisting his statements for political gain.
The debate widened when Shiv Sena UBT mouthpiece Saamana published an editorial on the issue. The editorial described Annamalai as a traitor even to his own Tamil community. It pointed out that Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had a shared history of standing together against Hindi imposition. The piece said that Annamalai’s comments went against this tradition of unity.
The editorial also targeted BJP leaders in Maharashtra. It questioned why they had not condemned Annamalai or BJP leader Kripashankar Singh. Singh had earlier claimed that Mumbai’s next mayor would be a Hindi speaker which had also caused controversy. Saamana said that if the BJP failed to criticise these statements then its state leaders should be labelled as politically impotent. It added that many Marathi BJP leaders were present when what it called an anti Maharashtra narrative was being pushed yet they chose not to respond.
The row has further sharpened the political atmosphere ahead of the BMC elections. With the Thackeray brothers working together and the BJP trying to expand its influence in Mumbai the issue has turned into a wider debate about regional pride political authority and control over the country’s richest municipal body. The exchange of strong words reflects the intensity of the contest that is expected to dominate the campaign in the coming weeks.
