Tussle between Sena, BJP over launching project

Mumbai: The never-ending friction between allies, Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), again came-to-the-fore on Monday after both parties sought to take full credit for laying the ground for a new pipeline in Dahisar. Interestingly, both parties held separate events to kickstart the project.

While Shiv Sena corporator Tejashvee Ghosalkar launched the project in Ganpat Patil Nagar at 9.30 am, BJP MLA Manisha Chaudhari held a similar programme at 11 am.

Furthermore, Ms Chaudhari, who represents Dahisar in the state legislative Assembly, was miffed with civic officials for allegedly not informing her of the programme’s timing.

"BMC officials told me on Sunday that the event will take place at 11 am. However, the local corporator had already inaugurated the work at 9.30 am. This annoyed me as I was not informed about this. Since we (Shiv Sena and the BJP) are in an alliance, we should have inaugurated the work together. I am also a representative of the people," she said.

Ms Ghosalkar, the local Shiv Sena corporator, however, took pot shots at the legislator. "Laying water pipeline is a civic work. A MLA does not need to look into the matter. We are also not invited to several functions but we have never made a scene," Ms Ghosalkar said.

The corporator further said that she had documentary evidence to prove that it was she who took up the issue with the civic body. She said that she had also procured the required Coastal Regulation Zone clearances and got the commissioner to approve the project.

Ms Chaudhari nevertheless contradicted Ms Ghosalkar's claims.

The BJP leader argued that the civic body will only be providing funds for the first two inlets, while the outlets will be completed using the MLA funds.

She added that she had not only taken clearances from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority but also dealt with the smooth acquisition of the land, which she claimed to have been a private property.