MNS Invites Uddhav Sena, Cong, BJP To Discuss Mumbai’s Civic Issues On April 26: ‘Public Representation Stalled’
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray, has announced that its place to hold a special assembly, termed the ‘Pratipalika Sabhagruh’ (Alternative House), on April 26 at 5 PM. The session will be held at the Patrakar Bhavan, located opposite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in Mumbai.
MNS General Secretary Sandeep Deshpande has sent invitations to leaders of all major political parties in Mumbai, including Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Siddharth Kamble, Congress’ Varsha Gaikwad, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) minister Uday Samant, and Samajwadi Party’s Saeedbhai Sheikh.
The initiative is aimed at addressing the growing civic issues in Mumbai, particularly in the absence of elected municipal representatives for the past three years. The BMC is currently being administered by bureaucrats, a situation that the MNS claims has led to neglect of public concerns.
In a bid to bring focus back on civic governance and give voice to citizen grievances, the MNS stated, “Mumbai Municipal Corporation runs on two wheels – administration and public representatives. But for the past three years, the wheel of public representation has stalled. Mumbai is facing multiple challenges, but without a platform for discussion in the municipal corporation, no solutions are emerging.”
The party had earlier attempted a ‘shadow cabinet’ under Raj Thackeray’s leadership to monitor state administration, but it did not achieve significant traction. With this new format, the MNS is inviting representatives from across the political spectrum to participate in a non-political dialogue dedicated to public interest.
MNS Proposes Appointment Of ‘Symbolic Mayor’
The MNS said that during the session, a ‘symbolic mayor’ will also be appointed. The agenda includes open discussions on critical issues such as the condition of roads, healthcare services, and disaster management in Mumbai.
“We have conceptualised the ‘Pratipalika Sabhagruh’ where representatives of different political parties and social organisations will come together to deliberate on Mumbai’s burning issues. Our objective is to ensure that the voice of the people reaches the government and that the administration takes concrete steps on these matters. This platform will be entirely non-political and devoted solely to public interest,” the MNS noted in its letter.
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