Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai's statement that Mumbai is an international city, not a city of Maharashtra, has sparked a political row ahead of the BMC polls. Opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, condemned the remarks, demanding an apology and arrest. State BJP leaders downplayed the statement, suggesting it was taken out of context. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena distanced itself, affirming Mumbai's inseparable connection to Maharashtra.