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Speaking about the BMC elections, Fadnavis predicted a decisive win for the ruling alliance and reiterated his belief that Mumbai would get a Marathi Hindu mayor
Clarifying the controversy around the BJP’s brief alliance with the AIMIM in Akot, Fadnavis said the issue was limited to a small local body. (PTI)
Amid the run-up to the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave an exclusive interview to News18, fielding a series of pointed questions on politics, language, alliances and the contest for Mumbai’s civic body. In the course of the interaction, Fadnavis made a light-hearted but pointed reference to the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and the political positioning of the Thackeray brothers, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, while asserting that it is Deputy CM Eknath Shinde who is carrying forward Balasaheb’s legacy.
Speaking about the mayoral race, Fadnavis predicted a decisive win for the ruling alliance and reiterated his belief that Mumbai would get a Marathi Hindu mayor. Reflecting on his stance, he said, “I am not afraid of speaking up. I am not an electoral liberal. Let me make it clear that Mumbai wants a Hindu mayor. It wants a Marathi mayor.”
On the ongoing Marathi language controversy, the chief minister underlined linguistic pride while distancing himself from violence. “Marathi will always be first,” he said, adding that the development of the language cannot be achieved by “killing” auto drivers or the oppressed. Drawing a parallel with other states, he remarked that just as Tamil takes precedence in Tamil Nadu, Marathi must come first in Maharashtra, while also stressing that he respects Marathi, Hindi and all other languages.
Fadnavis also responded to comments made by Ajit Pawar, who has previously claimed that he stands with those accusing Fadnavis of scams. “I only respond to the Thackeray brothers in Mumbai. However, outside of Mumbai, I have never spoken against either my allies or the opposition,” Fadnavis said, noting that Pawar’s remarks were made outside Mumbai and were largely confined to Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. When asked whether Pawar’s heart was truly with him, Fadnavis laughed and replied, “Ajit Dada has come here after breaking many hearts, and his heart is here, with us.”
Asked whether he was the reason the Thackeray brothers had come together for the BMC polls, Fadnavis said that he was pleased by the development. “If the two brothers have come together after so many years because of me, then it’s a good thing. I’m happy that both brothers are working to take forward Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy,” he said, before adding that Shinde represents the true continuation of that legacy and that the alliance had already demonstrated its strength by winning the Lok Sabha and Mahrashtra Assembly elections in 2024.
Clarifying the controversy around the BJP’s brief alliance with the AIMIM in Akot, Fadnavis said the issue was limited to a small local body. He explained that Akot has only around 17,000 voters and that the BJP’s city president had been elected there. According to him, the alliance emerged inadvertently after the BJP tied up with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which already had an understanding with the MIM. “As soon as we found out, we withdrew from that alliance,” Fadnavis said, adding that a suspension notice was issued to the party MLA concerned.
During the interview, the chief minister outlined an ambitious plan to make Mumbai slum-free within the next seven years, describing the Dharavi redevelopment project as a game-changer. He directly challenged Uddhav Thackeray, accusing those invoking Marathi identity today of hesitating to even say “Vande Mataram”, while asserting that the Mahayuti was contesting the elections on a plank of development and heritage.
Fadnavis further said that the election of 68 candidates unopposed was proof that people had endorsed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the governance record of the Mahayuti.
Maharashtra, India, India
January 09, 2026, 20:39 IST
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