Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Will the lotus bloom in PCMC?' that was published in Newsband

Will the lotus bloom in PCMC?

With the campaigning for Panvel Municipal Corporation civic polls coming to an end, the political race has become an interesting game. All parties sent out a clear signal that they were certain to emerge victorious. From the BJP camp CM Devendra Fadnavis identified himself with the development of the civic body —from international airport project to Metro and other infrastructure plans. BJP's Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, who has been spearheading the party campaign, has worked really hard this time.

In the recently-held BMC elections, the BJP and Sena's displayed their willingness to work together, despite the rivalry between Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray. On Sunday, while the CM held a rally in New Panvel and Kharghar, the Sena chief addressed a gathering in Kamothe.

Both BJP and Sena are trying hard to go past the half-way mark of 40 seats. Sena put forward their important man Adesh Bandekar, well-known Marathi actor and public relation chief of Raigad district who displayed confidence that those Sena men who have come from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and elsewhere and have made Panvel city their home would opt of Sena rule.

Meanwhile, the BSKP that is spearheading the grand alliance of Congress, NCP and a faction of the RPI is also hoping to cash in on their combined strength and a vote split due to the BJP and Sena rift.

While Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spared no-one in his scathing attack against the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tread a cautious line and sought to sell his party's developmental agenda. Thackeray, who had supported the passage of GST bill in the Maharashtra Assembly, was scathingly critical of the Maharashtra government. While CM asked the Panvel residents to make the lotus bloom in PCMC elections, Thackeray on the other hand warned that if the lotus blooms in Panvel, then the city will turn into muck.

Thackeray criticised the BJP on various fronts, from farm loan waivers to the Centre's policy towards Pakistan. Thackeray made it clear that his party is committed to the well-being of farmers and people. He also warned that once his party gets into the battle field they will not back out till they win.

Thackeray also criticised the BJP's ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Samurddhi Expressway project and said that the project may be good to bring both capitals nearer, but it is wrong to take away lands of farmers forcibly for the Expressway. His idea was to make farmers prosperous first and then carry out the project.

Thackeray did not spare even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lashed out against his note ban and his poll promises, Thackeray said that despite demonetisation there has been no decline in black money or cross-border terrorism, as promised by Modi.

However, CM seemed to play his cards very coolly and kept repeating that his party was contesting only on development issue. Even MLA Prasnaht Thakur assured the people that the new corporation would be the face of development of the state government. Both CM and MLA urged the people to give their party a clear mandate to ensure hurdle-free development.