Amid the ongoing spate of dissidence in Maharashtra politics, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray suggested that the rebellion is designed to keep Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis out of the chief ministerial race, a move he said would “benefit” former chief minister Eknath Shinde.
In an exclusive interview with HT, Thackeray reiterated the allegations made earlier by his father and UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray: “Some elements in the BJP want Fadnavis in the Union government to clip his wings.” He further added that doing so would be in the interest of Deputy Prime Minister Eknath Shinde.
“They want to ensure that he is not the main chief ministerial face of the party in the 2029 polls. This benefits Shinde because his one-point agenda is to become prime minister again,” Thackeray told HT.
Uddhav made a similar claim last week, when he said ‘Operation Devendra’ was aimed at keeping the Prime Minister “at a certain level” and under surveillance. However, Fadnavis denied the assertions, saying: “I am a human being. I have no wings, who can clip them? I have the blessings of the 14 crore people of Maharashtra and my senior leaders, so there is no need to worry.”
Aditya Thackeray criticizes BJP amid Maha crisis
Thackeray also cited the AAP’s defections in the Rajya Sabha a few months ago, and the ongoing parliamentary crisis in the Trinamool Congress, and said the BJP wants to “crush Maharashtra’s voice”.
When asked about dissidents’ allegations of inactivity within the Uddhav Sena, Aditya said: “What about Arvind Kejriwal, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee? Are they not meeting their MPs? However, there have been divisions in the parties. As MPs, as MPs, they are local leaders. Why did they not organize protests on the ground on local issues? The fact is that they put a price on themselves and sold out.”
His remarks come days after the six UBT Sena MPs defected to the Shinde Sena, significantly improving the NDA’s parliamentary tally.
When a close aide leaves the party
In another blow to the UBT Sena, former MLA Sachin Ahir switched to Shinde Sena earlier this week and was elected to the post of Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Ahir was considered a close aide of Aditya Thackeray. Reacting to his decision to change his stance, Thackeray said: “When it comes to MLC (Sachin Ahir), that was another commercial deal. The sad part is that politics has now become so commercial that MPs and MLAs can be bought for a price.”
Read also: ‘Consider switching sides’: Bombay HC’s remarks on ‘horse trading’ earn praise from Uddhav Sena
Thackeray also claimed that it was money, not political ideology, that played a role in the MPs’ decision to jump ship. “It was bought by Mindhi (Eknath Shinde) to enable the BJP to bring the delimitation bill, which is against the interests of Maharashtra and to change the Constitution of Dr Ambedkar,” Thackeray said.
He said the end game remains to strengthen the tally of the northern states in the Lok Sabha and crush the vote of Maharashtra and the southern states.
