The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were given the goal of winning all 48 seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday.
He also attacked Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), for “surrendering at the feet of (Nationalist Party Congress head) Sharad Pawar” in order to become chief minister while speaking to a group of BJP workers in Kolhapur.
After the 2019 Assembly election results were announced, Thackeray ended the alliance with the BJP, alleging the latter had broken its promise to share the chief ministerial position with the Shiv Sena.
He co-led the Maha Vikas Aghadi with the NCP and Congress until Eknath Shinde’s uprising came it to an end in June of last year.
“The BJP and its allies gained 42 of the 48 seats in 2019. We ought to capture all 48 seats this time, “Shah informed his party’s members.
Shah criticised Thackeray, saying “Sharad Pawar accepted the submission of Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. With us, (Thackeray) ran in the Legislative elections, and Narendra Modi was the candidate with the biggest cutouts. However, after the results were announced, he (Thackeray) submitted at Pawar’s feet.”
“We have never compromised our values or been power-hungry. Devendra Fadnavis, who served as chief minister at the time, oversaw the campaign for the most recent Maharashtra assembly poll. During our demonstrations, PM Modi and I had both said this out loud. Thackeray nevertheless teamed up with the opponents, “Added he.
Shah praised the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Shinde party as the true Shiv Sena and to grant it the bow and arrow symbol on Friday, and he predicted that the Thackeray group would now take a lesson from the decision.
Without mentioning Thackeray, Shah said, “By deceit you can attain power for few days, but when it comes to the battlefield, you need courage to prevail.”
