‘BJP leaders were directed in closed-door meeting to split Opposition’, claims top Maharashtra leader

Targeting the saffron party, Thackeray said the BJP snapped its three-decade-old alliance with (undivided) Shiv Sena in 2014.

Ramtek: Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, on Sunday, 29 September 2024 claimed that BJP leaders had been directed in a closed-door meeting to break the Opposition ranks and target himself and NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar.

He went on saying that the people will decide his political future and not the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he alleged Union Home Minister Amit Shah had directed BJP leaders in a “closed-door” meeting to “stop” him (Uddhav) and Sharad Pawar politically.

“During his recent visit to Nagpur, Amit Shah held a closed-door meeting of BJP leaders where he asked them to split the Opposition ranks and politically stop me and Sharad Pawar. Why speak behind closed doors? He should say this before people,” Thackeray said after inaugurating a life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Ramtek city in east Maharashtra.

“Why does Shah want to finish Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar politically; so that the BJP can loot Maharashtra,” he said.

Targeting the saffron party, Thackeray said the BJP snapped its three-decade-old alliance with (undivided) Shiv Sena in 2014 (before assembly elections). “However, Sena managed to win 63 seats.”

He made a sarcastic remark when he asked if RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat agreed with BJP’s “Hindutva” involving breaking other parties and poaching (opposition leaders)?

“The upcoming elections are not about power but they are crucial to prevent Maharashtra from getting looted,” said Thackeray and appealed to people to ensure a massive victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and deliver all six assembly segments in Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency.

Congress and NCP (SP) leaders Sunil Kedar and Anil Deshmukh shared the dais with Thackeray.

(With PTI inputs)