BJP claims Uddhav Thackeray is eyeing Maharashtra CM post, visiting Delhi for Congress backing

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. File pic/Ashish Raje

On Wednesday, the BJP said that Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), was visiting Delhi to gain Congress support for his chief ministerial aspirations, not to address issues pertaining to youth, women, and farmers in Maharashtra.

"Uddhav Thackeray has gone to Delhi not to raise issues affecting women, farmers or youths of Maharashtra. He is gone to the national capital to seek Congress' support as he wants to become chief minister again (after assembly elections due in October)," stated BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, reported PTI.

According to the report, on Tuesday, after the Maha Vika Aghadi's victory in 31 of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats, Thackeray began his three-day journey to Delhi. He is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Opposition INDIA alliance during his tour to deliberate on tactics for the forthcoming assembly elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Haryana.

Shelar told reporters, "Thackeray always criticises the visit of chief ministers (of BJP and Shiv Sena) to Delhi and dismisses them as their weakness," implying that Thackeray was compelled by political considerations to travel to Delhi in order to receive Congress backing.

"He is not in Delhi to seek help for farmers who lost their crops due to excess showers or employment for the youth. He has not even raised the issue of Maratha reservation in Delhi during his meetings," Shelar claimed per the PTI report.

According to the report, in November 2019, Thackeray was appointed chief minister of Maharashtra. He had previously severed his connections with the BJP and allied himself with the Congress and the NCP (undivided). When many Shiv Sena MLAs sided with Eknath Shinde, the BJP-backed chief minister who followed Thackeray, the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration led by Thackeray was overthrown in June 2022.

Uddhav Thackeray criticises Dharavi redevelopment project

On Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray, the head of Shiv Sena-UBT and a former chief minister of Maharashtra, declared that NCP chief Sharad Pawar will not permit the destruction of Mumbai. Thackeray was referring to the Dharavi redevelopment project of the Adani Group. According to PTI, Thackeray's remarks follow Pawar's recent talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in which the Dharavi rehabilitation project was discussed.

"My stand is clear. Adani is not my enemy, but if anyone comes to destroy Mumbai, I will not allow it and I don't think Pawar will allow anyone to destroy Mumbai," Thackeray remarked per the news agency report