&w=1024&resize=1024,0&ssl=1 "Had MVA not been removed, Maharashtra would have been left far behind: Prime Minister Political News")
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, saying that “Maharashtra would have been left far behind” if the Uddhav Thackeray-led government had not been removed.
Addressing Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Shinde emphasized the stability of his administration, adding that while many predicted the fall of his government within a few months, he has now been in power for two years.
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“Earlier, everyone thought that the Shinde government would fall within 2-3 months, but two years have passed. Had the MVA government not been removed, Maharashtra would have gone back much further,” the CM said.
Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister after the Shiv Sena (Undivided) severed ties with its long-time ally BJP and formed an MVA alliance with the NCP (Undivided) and the Congress after the November 2019 assembly elections.
However, he resigned in June 2022 after Shinde led a rebellion that toppled the BJP-backed MVA government.
Reflecting on the resumption of the Dharavi redevelopment project, Shinde said, “The Dharavi project was canceled, but after our government came to power, we resumed it. To the people of Dharavi I say: Let the opposition say what they want; the government is trying to provide you with good homes.”
Shinde expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving Marathi the status of a classical language. “I thank the Prime Minister for this recognition. I also express my gratitude for the 'Ladli Didi' project initiated by Asha Tai in 1992.” – he added.
The Union Cabinet recently accorded Marathi classical language status along with Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing his party's Dussehra rally at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, announced plans to build temples dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district of Maharashtra.
Accusing the Mahayuti government of exploiting Shivaji Maharaj's legacy for political purposes, Thackeray said, “They built the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj just for votes, but this statue was destroyed. I promise that when we come to power, we will build a Shivaji Maharaja temple in every district of Maharashtra.”
The 35-meter tall statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district, unveiled during Navy Day celebrations on December 4, 2022, and inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, collapsed on August 26, 2023.
The statue's fall sparked a political debate in which opposition leaders criticized the Shinde government.
Thackeray also accused the BJP of using Shivaji Maharaj's name for electoral purposes. “For them, Shivaji Maharaj is just a vote bank, but for us he is God,” Thackeray said.
Two rival factions of the Shiv Sena, one led by Shinde and the other by Thackeray, held separate rallies on Dussehra, each looking to show their strength ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
The 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce the election schedule.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Power Dal), and the Congress-Mahayuti alliance, which includes BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath), will contest the upcoming elections. Shinde Group and NCP (Ajit Pawar Group).
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been modified by Business Standards staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
