Uddhav Thackeray: ‘Those helping BJP are Maharashtra’s enemies’

On the first day of his campaigning for the high-stakes November 20 assembly polls, the former CM, whose party is a constituent of the MVA along with the Congress and NCP (SP), addressed two rallies - in Kolhapur and Ratnagiri districts.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday hit the campaign trail and pitched the November 20 assembly polls as a battle between those who love Maharashtra and the ones who betray it as he reflected on the 2022 split in the party.

Thackeray slammed his former ally BJP and its partners, saying those helping the national party are “enemies” of Maharashtra as he made a slew of promises to voters, including building a temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comes to power.

On the first day of his campaigning for the high-stakes November 20 assembly polls, the former CM, whose party is a constituent of the MVA along with the Congress and NCP (SP), addressed two rallies – in Kolhapur and Ratnagiri districts.

At his first rally at Radhanagari in Kolhapur district — the constituency of Prakash Abitkar, one of the 40 Shiv Sena MLAs who rebelled against his leadership — he said those who love the state are aligned with the MVA which comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP).

Those helping the BJP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti bloc, are “enemies” of Maharashtra, Thackeray remarked.

Further attacking his one-time ally, the former CM accused the BJP of “selling” Maharashtra to Gujarat, where it is in power.

In Ratnagiri in the Konkan region, he said projects like oil refineries are coming up in Barsu, a village in the coastal district, but the ones like Tata-Airbus are being taken to BJP-ruled Gujarat.