Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday alleged that previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government planned to arrest top state BJP leaders including Devendra Fadnavis, Pravin Darekar, Girish Mahajan, and Prasad Lal.
Shinde, in an interview with News18 Lokmat, talked about the time when Shiv Sena was unified till early 2022. However, in June 2022, Eknath Shinde along with several legislators broke away from Uddhav Thackeray and formed the government in Maharashtra with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Uddhav Thackeray wanted only ‘Yess Boss’ culture in his party. He didn’t want a mass leader. He (Uddhav) fought for his personal interest but Balasaheb Thackeray used to fight for the party. I was also sidelined by his son Aditya Thackeray. I was not against him,” the chief minister told News18 Lokmat.
However, Shinde appreciated Uddhav’s estranged cousing Raj Thackeray who is also the president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MVS) and recently joined the BJP-led Mahayuti.
Also Read | Live updates on Lok Sabha elections 2024 phase 2 polling
“He(Raj Thackeray) is a man of open mind. His hear is big,” said Eknath Shinde on Thursday, a day before phase 2 polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra
As many as 88 seats across 13 states, including eight constituencies in Maharashtra, are going to polls in the second round of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections today, April 26.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis fielded two-time MP and former orthopaedic physician turned politician Shrikant Shinde, Eknath Shinde’s son, from the Kalyan seat in the Thane district.
This time, Maharashtra will have unique general elections since the original Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party have split, with a faction from each joining the Mahayuti led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi is an alliance of the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). Chief Minister and BJP ally Eknath Shinde bears the Shiv Sena name and emblem, the same is the case with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and the NCP, which could be significant in the elections.
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Published: 26 Apr 2024, 08:06 AM IST
