‘Constructive violence’ is his tool to keep BMC under Shiv Sena

“Our main agenda is to retain BMC under Sena. And we will do so with constructive violence,” says Desai.

After his party lost its bastion in the heart of Mumbai — the party lost Mahim to the MNS — Desai says winning back the lost voters was high on his agenda.

“People are confused and are not decisive. Though inflation was a major issue,they voted Congress back,” he said.

The party wants to bring its once faithful voters back and leaders have started touching citizens,he says.

Opponents say the Sena’s USP,its aggression,has been taken away by the MNS which is fighting street battles Sena style. They say the pandemonium in the House over SP MLA Abu Azmi taking oath in Hindi against Raj’s diktat is one instance. But Desai,who at 68 years was selected to lead the Sena MLAs in the Assembly,is not one to be fazed by it. “We still back violence but it has to be constructive,” he said.

He added that Sena supported the Marathi issue in the Assembly but the MLAs managed to stay out of the problem which MNS MLAs are now facing — four years of suspension. “We will continue to be aggressive and raise issues and our voice against injustice.”

Desai said the party had not expected to fare so badly but had decided to move on. “We should have won more seats… but we have accepted defeat. We are back at work”

The Congress-NCP,high after a good performance in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state is already threatening to take over BMC,the richest municipal corporation in the country with a Rs 19,000 crore budget,from its saffron rulers. The civic headquarters is the most important body for the Sena through which it controls Mumbai. It has been continuing its hold on it for the last 20 years.

“Maintaining Sena rule in BMC is the most important thing for us. We have to ensure majority in the 2012 elections and have already begun working for it,” Desai said.

Desai,who won Goregaon in the last three elections — he was disqualified in the early 1990s for six years even after winning for the use of Hindutva during campaign — said his plans for the constituency include ensuring equitable distribution of water in the face of the water crisis by constructing a new reservoir,a flyover at MTNL junction,upgrading facilities at Siddharth hospital,setting up a new hospital in Goregaon East and development of open spaces including a theme park with water in upper Govindnagar.