In a recent press conference, All India Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the BJP government just two days ahead of the Maharashtra elections.
He accused the ruling government of a series of misdeeds under its "Mahayuti" alliance, labelling it as detrimental to Mumbai and Maharashtra. Surjewala used the term “Mumbai mortgaged” to describe how the state’s resources and assets are allegedly being exploited under the BJP-led government.
Surjewala’s first point of attack was what he called the "Mumbai Mortgaged" issue. He accused the BJP of handing over Mumbai’s assets to private players, specifically Adani.
According to him, the industrialist has accumulated control over crucial assets in Mumbai, including the Mumbai Airport, electricity supply, and the Dharavi development project. Surjewala stated that Adani had been granted significant land, including a massive 990-acre plot in the city.
This land deal is said to include parcels from government-owned land, such as the Bonar dumping ground and mud island. Surjewala raised concerns about the mandatory transfer of development rights (TDR) to Adani for all builders in Mumbai, particularly following a controversial order in 2023.
He claimed that this system has made builders completely reliant on Adani, questioning the transparency of the tender process given that details about the land and beneficiaries were yet to be determined.
The Congress leader further elaborated on the so-called “Mahayuti gunraj and gundaraj,” claiming that under the current alliance, Mumbai and its surrounding areas have become rife with criminal activity.
He pointed to the recent murder of political leader Baba Siddique, allegedly orchestrated by the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, as an example of the lawlessness taking root in the region.
Surjewala noted the alarming frequency of violent crimes in Mumbai, with reports indicating an average of 14 crimes per day. He specifically criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing him of giving protection to gangsters and criminals.
Surjewala suggested that the police were complicit in this growing criminal culture, pointing out that even shots were being fired in broad daylight in the middle of the city.
He called out Shinde for allegedly protecting these criminal elements, which, according to Surjewala, has led to a situation where gang violence has become normalised in the region.
The third aspect of Surjewala’s criticism centred around the rising cost of living under the current government, which he referred to as “Mahayuti and Mehngai.” He claimed that Shinde’s administration had been awarding contracts and tenders at an alarming pace, bypassing established procedures.
He highlighted how the MEP company, which had gone bankrupt, was still awarded contracts to collect tolls at five key entry points in the state. Surjewala questioned the financial stability of such deals, pointing out that Maharashtra’s government had taken a large loan from the Power Finance Corporation, which would eventually burden the state with significant debt.
He also criticised the toll collection plans, arguing that although the government had promised to remove tolls, new tolls would be imposed in the future, extending as far as 2064 to repay the debt.
Surjewala raised the question of whether the people of Maharashtra were truly benefiting from such deals, pointing to the contradictions in the government's actions.
As the election campaign enters its final stretch, Surjewala urged voters to consider these issues seriously. He suggested that there was still room for introspection and course correction within the political landscape of Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
With just two days left before the elections and the silence period soon to begin, Surjewala emphasised that the people of Maharashtra should weigh the actions and promises of the ruling government carefully before casting their votes.
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