24 December,2025 02:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vijay Wadettiwar. File Pic
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday alleged that Mumbai and Maharashtra were being systematically weakened and brought under Gujarat's influence, and called for a united fight to protect the city and its identity.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Wadettiwar launched a sharp attack on the ruling Mahayuti government, accusing it of facilitating large-scale land acquisition in Mumbai and allowing increasing control from Gujarat. "There is an ongoing attempt to encroach upon Maharashtra and Mumbai. Efforts are being made to seize Mumbai and bind it to Gujarat's control. We must fight to save and protect Mumbai," he said.
He added that the growing influence over Mumbai posed a threat to Marathi pride and culture, and stressed the need for resistance to safeguard the city's heritage and autonomy.
Commenting on the recent coming together of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, Wadettiwar welcomed the development, saying the Congress extended its best wishes to the Thackeray family. "If families reunite, it is a matter of happiness," he remarked.
On the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Wadettiwar clarified that the Congress was open to contesting the polls alongside parties led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, but ruled out any alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
He further explained that while the INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) contested the Assembly polls together, local body elections are primarily driven by grassroots workers. "The MVA did not contest municipal councils and corporations jointly, and alliance decisions for local body polls are taken at the local level. Therefore, there is no reason to say that the INDIA alliance or the MVA has suffered any setback," Wadettiwar said.
Reiterating the Congress party's ideological position, he said it does not indulge in casteism or communalism. "Congress is a party that upholds the Constitution and works to deliver justice to every section of society," he said, appealing to voters to support the party in the upcoming elections in the interest of development.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) boss Raj Thackeray on Wednesday announced the alliance of their parties ahead of the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, putting months of speculation to rest.
