NEW DELHI: As the BJP sweeps the Haryana assembly elections on Tuesday securing 48 out of 90 assembly seats and is set to form the government for the record third term, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray reiterated that he is willing to support any chief minister candidate suggested Congress or NCP (SP) allies to “save” the state.
“I had said this then, and I say it now that the Congress should declare a face, or NCP (SP) should do it.
The Congress, NCP (SP) should speak in unison. I will support any face declared by them because my Maharashtra is dear to me. I want to see the interests of Maharashtra. My resolve is to do anything to save Maharashtra,” Thackeray said while speaking at an event.
He also accused the Mahayuti government of promoting “fake” narratives across the state through advertisements in the lead-up to the crucial assembly polls.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief criticized the government’s flagship ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’, which provides Rs 1,500 per month to underprivileged women, claiming that the ruling coalition was attempting to make people betray “Maharashtra dharma” by giving them their own money through the scheme.
“It’s raining assurances, but there is drought when it comes to the implementation of schemes,” he said, taking a jibe at the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government.
This is the second time the former Maharasthra chief minister has given this statement ahead of the
Maharashtra assembly elections
scheduled next month.
Earlier, in August, the Shiv Sena (UBT) president had insisted on deciding MVA’s chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of who wins the most seats, and asserted he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and the NCP (SP) for the top post. The Congress and the NCP (SP) had then made it clear they did not want to wade into this territory (CM face) till the assembly poll results were out.
Thackeray also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of creating a “wall” between Gujarat and the rest of the country. He said that there had never been a Gujarati-Marathi dispute in Maharashtra and highlighted the importance of ensuring justice for “sons of soil” (native inhabitants) while clarifying that his party was not an enemy to anyone. “Our fight is against forces who are anti-India and anti-Maharashtra,” Thackeray said.
