After debunking BJP’s claim about the existence of a Modi wave in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has castigated his former ally for exploiting the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji to seek votes and the NDA Government for its failure to keep its lok Sabha poll promise of waiving the crop loans of hail storm-affected farmers in Maharashtra.
Before setting out on a State-wide election tour, Uddhav set an aggressive tone for his campaign by hitting out at the BJP for falling back heavily upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi for enhancing its prospects in the State Assembly polls.
Talking to media persons at his Bandra residence “Matoshri”, Uddhav said, “I am not sure as to why the State BJP snapped their ties with the Sena… But the BJP says that the there is a (Modi) wave in the State. If there is indeed a wave, why has the BJP planned so many rallies of the Prime Minister Narendra ModiIJ Has any Prime Minister in the past addressed so many public rallies in the StateIJ If there is a wave, why is the BJP planning as many as 24 rallies of the Prime MinisterIJ This is Maharashtra and not Drithrashtra. People are not blind here. They are watching everything with open eyes.”
Uddhav was alluding to media reports that the BJP was planning to organise anywhere from 22 to 24 election rallies of Modi in various parts of Maharashtra between October 4 and 13, the day the campaigning for the October 15 Assembly polls ends.
later in the evening, addressing a public rally at Parbhani in Marathwada region, Uddhav came down heavily on the BJP for its efforts to invoke the legacy of Maratha warrior to woo the voters and its failure to keep the promise made to the hail storm-affected farmers during the lok Sabha polls that if voted to power, it would waive crop loans to hail-storm affected farmers in Marathwada.
Ridiculing the BJP’s slogan “Chhatrapatincha Aswhirwad, Chala Devu Modina Saath”, Uddhav told the Sena’s erstwhile ally at the large public rally, “You are now seeking the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Have you ever celebrated Shiv Jawyanti in the pastIJ Do you even know the date on which the Shiva jayanti is celebrated as per the traditional calendar”.
On the NDA Government’s failure to keep its lok Sabha poll promise of waiving the crop loans of hail storm-hit famers in the State, Uddhav said, “We, the saffron alliance leaders, had promised the people during the lok Sabha polls that the NDA Government, if voted to power, would waive the crop loans of hail-storm affected farmers. In fact we had urged the people to support the NDA in a big way so that Narendra Modi could become the Prime Minister. Now that you have become the Prime Minister, you should at least consider now waiving the crop loans of farmers”
“The BJP may have snapped its ties with the Sena but we (Sena and BJP) had campaigned together in the lok Sabha polls. We have helped Modi become the Prime Minister. It is now it is turn to keep the promise we had made to the farmers at that time. When there were floods in Kashmir, your Government went all the way to help the affected people there. Your Government helped not just the people of Jammu & Kashmir but also the people in the Pak-occupied Kashmir. I would like your Government to display similar humanitarian gesture towards the farmers in Marathwada,” Uddhav said.
Slamming the BJP for its designs to divide Maharashtra and the Congress-NCP alliance for providing a corrupt rule to the State, Uddhav said, “You are now saddled on one side with a party like the BJP that is out to divide Maharashtra, while on the other side, you have two parties (Congress and NCP) that have looted the State. The Shiv Sena is the only party that has real concern for you and you have to support us in the polls so that we will address all your concerns once we are in power in the State”.
Uddhav, however, had kind words to say about late Gopinath Munde who he said was the only BJP leader who had stood by his words.
“We had good relations with late Pramod Mahajan and Munde. Considering our good relations with Mahajan and Munde, we have not put up any candidate against Munde’s daughter Pankaja Palve-Munde in the polls,” the Sena president said.
Given that Uddhav devoted maximum portion of his 40 minutes’ speech at his election rally at Parbhani to attack the BJP, the indications were clear that the Shiv Sena would target its erstwhile saffron alliance partner in a big way in the campaign for the October 15 State Assembly polls.