During the Shiv Sena’s 58th foundation day celebration at Shanmukhanand Hall in Sion on Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray took a strong stance against the BJP and the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. Thackeray, leading the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, firmly stated that he would never ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he accused of attempting to “finish off” his Shiv Sena. His comments dispelled rumors of a potential alliance with the BJP ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections later this year.
BJP leaders had previously criticized the INDIA bloc’s performance in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections, suggesting that its partners were benefitting from Thackeray’s efforts. This criticism sparked speculation that the BJP, facing a poor showing in the Maharashtra elections, was considering partnering with Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena. Currently, the BJP is allied with the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
Thackeray reinforced the INDIA bloc’s position, predicting the collapse of the Narendra Modi-led government and the establishment of an INDIA bloc-led administration. He challenged Prime Minister Modi to begin campaigning for the Assembly elections immediately and to fulfill the promises made by Chandrababu Naidu’s manifesto in Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP’s inability to secure a simple majority in the Lok Sabha, winning only 240 seats, has bolstered the confidence of INDIA bloc partners. Thackeray accused the BJP of forsaking Hindutva and questioned its alliances with regional parties like the TDP and JDU.
