Aaditya Thackeray accuses BJP of looting Maharashtra, ignoring state issues

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its actions in Maharashtra, claiming that the party has "looted" the state instead of addressing its issues.

While speaking to ANI on Friday, Thackeray stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer why the BJP looted Maharashtra instead of entangling them in the pages of history. Thackeray further questioned the BJP for not providing employment to the youth of the state.

"I think it would be better for the Prime Minister to answer why the BJP looted Maharashtra instead of entangling us in the pages of history. Why did the BJP not employ the youth here and take it to Gujarat? They should answer this," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Worli, who was campaigning in the lead-up to the state elections, also accused the BJP of not prioritising the welfare of Maharashtra's people, suggesting that while the BJP may focus on history, the state is looking at the future. In a direct challenge to the BJP, Thackeray asserted that the BJP thinks bad for Maharashtra and that the state would decline the BJP and would accept Maha Vikas Aghadi.

"Maybe they are busy with the pages of history but Maharashtra is looking at the future. BJP thinks bad about Maharashtra. Maharashtra will decline the BJP; it will only accept MVA," he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde slammed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, stating that it would be remembered as an "anti-development government, reiterating that the voters of Pune would stand with the Mahayuti during the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls.

Addressing a public rally in Pune on Friday, Shinde accused the MVA of stalling major development projects and prioritising power over public welfare and criticised the MVA for forming an "unnatural alliance" driven by the "greed of power."

"I have come here after six public rallies throughout the day. Pune is an IT and manufacturing hub. It is the cultural city of the state. I know voters of Pune will stand behind Mahayuti. If you compare the work done by MVA and Mahayuti, they just stalled all projects like Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, Samruddhi Mahamarg, metro projects and others. MVA will be known as an anti-development government... They made an unnatural alliance for the greed of power," he said.

The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with votes for all 288 constituencies to be counted on November 23.

The opposition MVA coalition, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP), seeks to reclaim power in the state, challenging the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.