Alliance of Thackerays won’t have much impact; tie-up for their own political survival: Devendra Fadnavis
Putting an end to months of speculation, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray officially announced their party’s alliance ahead of the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters here after the statement, CM Fadnavis said, “Their history is full of corruption and personal interests. Their alliance is for their own political survival and will not make any significant political difference. Anyone who thinks otherwise is childish. People will not be impressed.” ”Mumbai will stand firmly with our government. “People will see the Mahayuti government’s performance, its vision for the future and its vision to ensure that Marathi people have homes in the city,” Fadnavis said.
The CM ridiculed the hype at the Thackeray cousins’ joint press conference in Mumbai and said it was about nothing.
“Television news channels were reporting as if it was the Russia-Ukain alliance,” he said.
“The Thackerays are not the only representatives of the Marathi people and Mumbai,” Fadnavis said, adding that the reason why Mumbai citizens are turning away from them is their ego.
”Uddhav Thackeray will have to answer for 25 years of civilian mismanagement. Old sins cannot be washed away. I was born as Hindutvawadi and I will die that way. “I am not someone who wears saffron robe and changes political stances,” Fadnavis told the Sena (UBT) chief. The people of Mumbai and Maharashtra are Hindutvawadi and those who are fond of appeasement and those who deviate from Hindutva ideology saw the result in the assembly elections. Our Hindutva is not parochial. This is the Indian way of life,” he said.
The undivided Shiv Sena ruled the BMC for over two decades.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar said that “Marathi voters” are asking why Uddhav and Raj Thackeray left earlier.
“No Marathi had demanded the formation of a separate party (when Raj Thackeray left the Shiv Sena),” he said.
Shelar also recalled Raj Thackeray’s statements in which he claimed that while forming the MNS, Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray was surrounded by a “coterie” that created distance between uncle and nephew.
“Today, Marathi people are asking Raj Thackeray to name the people who allegedly created this distance with Balasaheb,” he said.
Shelar said Raj called these people a group of clerks and tried to find out who these ‘clerks’ were.
“So why is Raj Thackeray shaking hands and hugging the same people now?” asked the BJP leader.
Raj Thackeray recalled publicly playing videos criticizing BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and accusing them of not fulfilling promises.
“We have preserved many such video clips of Raj Thackeray’s speeches attacking the Shiv Sena leadership after he left the party,” Shelar warned.
He claimed that the newfound friendship between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray was due to political distrust. “When the BJP challenged the Thackerays’ monopoly over Mumbai, both Uddhav and Raj felt threatened. They have now come together for their own political survival,” he said.
