BJP's win in Maharashtra civic polls: Annamalai says people rejected 'divisive propaganda'

Chennai: Reacting to his party's victory in the civic polls in Maharashtra, BJP leader K Annamalai on Friday said people trust the triple-engine leadership and they have rejected "divisive propaganda."

The people of Mumbai have spoken with crystal clarity and the historic victory of the Mahayuti alliance in the BMC elections is a resounding endorsement of development-first governance, he said in a social media post.

The former Tamil Nadu BJP President was targeted by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, alleging the leader from south during his campaign for the civic polls tried to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra by claiming it as an international city. Mockingly, he dubbed Annamalai as "Rasmalai".

The opposition was banking on the failed strategy of dividing Mumbaikars along linguistic and regional lines, a 20th-century relic the people soundly rejected, he said.

While the NDA government talks about development infrastructure, jobs, and growth, the opposition clung to an archaic narrative of regional animosity. "Mumbaikars chose substance over divisiveness."

From the grassroots of local bodies to the halls of the parliament, this is the triple engine that delivers real, tangible development for every citizen. While the opposition "trafficked in divisive narratives" aimed at fragmenting the people, Mumbai chose unity, progress, and inclusive growth.

In his post, Annamalai said: "The people of Maharashtra have given a decisive verdict! The Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping success in the local body polls is a powerful mandate for purposeful, performance-driven governance.

From villages to metro cities, people’s trust in the triple-engine leadership stands testimony to a politics rooted in progress, not baseless divisive propaganda."

Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the BJP on Friday emerged as the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also triumphed in Pune, where it made mincemeat of the alliance of NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar.

Annamalai lauded the BJP leaders for the victory.