Dusshera rallies addressed by CM Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday set the tone for the impending Maharashtra assembly elections. The rival factions — Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, or UBT) — hurled piercing jibes at one another, heating up the political atmosphere in the poll-bound state.
In a scathing tirade directed at the ruling Mahayuti alliance, particularly at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray compared the saffron party to “Kauravas” (antagonist in the Hindu Epic Mahabharat).
Uddhav Thackeray further claimed that BJP “smacks of arrogance” and that he parted ways with the party because he didn’t believe “in its version of Hindutva“.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also raked up the Shivaji statue collapse incident, alleging that the Maratha King’s statue collapsed because the state government built it only for votes. He also promised that when voted to power, they would build Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statues in every district of Maharashtra.
“It (Mahayuti government) built the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj only for votes and that statue collapsed, but I want to tell you and promise you that when we come to power, we will build a temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district of Maharashtra. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a vote bank for them, but for us he is God,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Thackeray also lashed out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP’s ideological mentor, asking it to “introspect” if it “agrees with today’s ‘hybrid’ BJP”.
Uddhav Thackery said: “I respect RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, but I don’t like his views. He is saying come together to save Hindutva, why didn’t you or Modi save Hindutva in the last 10 years?”
“BJP should be ashamed of calling itself Bharatiya, it no longer belongs to people”, Uddhav Thackeray, BJP’s former ally, said during the Dusshera rally at Shivaji Park.
Thackery also spoke on PM Modi visiting Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud’s house for aarti on the occasion of the Ganesh festival.
Without directly mentioning the Shiv Sena-split matter that is sub judice in the Supreme Court, Uddhav Thackeray said: I want to tell the CJI that if you want to make history then give the right decision. You are only speaking, not giving any decision. You do aarti with Narendra Modi it is fine but if you do not give any decision then everyone will lose faith in the judiciary. People believe only in judiciary and democracy.”
CM Shinde tears into Uddhav Thackeray
Just a few kilometres away in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, chief minister Eknath Shinde addressed a Dusshera rally and spared no words to hurl vitriolic criticism at Uddhav Thackeray and his governance when he served as CM.
Speaking on the spilt that he staged in the Shiv Sena, CM Eknath Shinde said “he freed the party from those who betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals”.
CM Shinde, took a potshot at Thackeray, saying people “never liked Babu’s leadership” and that’s why they “bought his government down”.
“Earlier Babu (Uddhav Thackeray) used to wake up, take a bath and go live on Facebook. People never liked Babu’s leadership, that’s why people brought down his government. Mahayuti government is going to be formed in Maharashtra. I thank the Prime Minister for giving Marathi the status of a classical language,” CM Shinde said at the Dusshera rally he addressed.
The Shiv Sena chief also spoke about the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Lok Sabha poll performance, claiming opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) Lok Sabha poll success in Maharashtra was “accidental, not permanent”
“Shiv Sena won seven seats in a direct fight against Sena (UBT) in Lok Sabha polls which shows we are real Shiv Sena,” he said. CM Shinde further said there is no difference between There is Uddhav’s party and Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP Assaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.
Faceoff over Dharavi project
Uddhav Thackeray repeated his promise during the Dusshera rally, announcing that the tender awarded to Gautam Adani’s firm for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project would be scrapped if his party came to power in Maharashtra.
“I am not fighting only for myself I am fighting for all of you. They sold Dharavi to Adani and the people of Dharavi are facing many problems. I assure all of you and promise you that when we come to power I will cancel this project of Adani in Dharavi,” Uddhav said.
In a counter-argument, CM Shidne said: “Our government started the Dharavi project and I want to tell the people of Dharavi that no matter what the opposition says, our government is going to give you good houses.”