MUMBAI ~ Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray staked his claim to national fame by getting his party workers to beat up taxiwallahs in Mumbai some years ago. This was solely because they were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and it helped him create a constituency among Maharashtrians afraid of ‘bhaiyyas’  taking over their land. And now, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections slated for early next year, he will turn a milkman as part of the same political ploy.

His party, the MNS will sell its own brand of milk, called Mumbai Milk, as an alternative to that supplied by bhaiyyas who have been traditionally running this business in the city. The milk distribution services will start before the BMC polls, and will be handled by the employment cell of the MNS. Only ‘sons of the soil’ will be provided employment through this business.

Mumbai Milk, according to the MNS chief, will be “pure and unadulterated”. The MNS plan is in its final stages and an announcement is expected to be made shortly, say party sources. Once implemented, the scheme will make—or so the party hopes—a significant dent in the milk business of north Indian migrants.
Popular north Indian leaders, such as Member of Parliament Sanjay Nirupam, have time and again said the city will come to a standstill if migrants continue to be targetted and beaten up. The MNS plans to counter that threat by getting into milk distribution itself. The BMC election this time is expected to be a closely fought affair. The MNS is keen on making a big splash and wresting a large number of seats from the ruling Shiv Sena.

Besides milk distribution, north Indians in Mumbai have also traditionally controlled laundry services and taxi and auto-rickshaw operations. MNS sources say the party will gradually enter all other essential services currently handled by the city’s migrants.