Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday kicked off the party’s campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls by announcing a slew of sops aimed at the middle and lower-middle class as part of its manifesto.
Mr. Thackeray said, “We have decided that property tax will be waived for homes with a carpet area of up to 500 sq. ft, and give concessions in property taxes for homes with a carpet area of up to 700 sq. ft when the Sena comes to power on February 23.” Mr. Thackeray said housing societies which have set up rain water harvesting systems and solar panels will get additional benefits.
He said besides the services at BMC-run hospitals, free healthcare services will be offered under the Balasaheb Thackeray health cover scheme. Similar schemes will be announced soon. “In the past five years, we have constructed new health facilities, and increased the number of beds in existing ones.”
Mr. Thackeray said the Sena has sent a list of demands to the Union Finance Ministry ahead of the Union Budget, which will be presented on February 1.
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha poll promise of Acche din , Mr. Thackeray said, “I do not indulge in false promises. I fulfil what I promise.” On the Sena’s efforts to forge an alliance with the BJP ahead of the civic polls, he said, “I would not like to talk on the alliance at a time when talks are progressing positively.”
On Thursday evening, BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar visited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s official residence with a list of 114 of the 227 wards the party wants to contest in the polls. According to sources, the Sena is not ready to accept the proposal.
