Maharashtra would have been left far behind if MVA had not been removed: CM

The two rival factions of the Shiv Sena, one led by Shinde and the other by Thackeray, held separate Dussehra rallies, each seeking to demonstrate their strength ahead of upcoming Assembly elections

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, saying that "Maharashtra would have fallen far behind" if the Uddhav Thackeray-led government had not been removed.

Speaking at the Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Shinde emphasised the stability of his administration, adding that while many predicted his government would collapse within months, it has now completed two years in power.

"Earlier, everyone thought the Shinde government would collapse in 2-3 months, but we have completed two years. If the MVA government had not been removed, Maharashtra would have been left far behind," the CM said.

Uddhav Thackeray became chief minister after the Shiv Sena (undivided) broke ties with its long-time ally BJP and formed the MVA alliance with the NCP (undivided) and Congress following the November 2019 assembly elections.

However, he resigned in June 2022 after Shinde led a rebellion that toppled the MVA government with BJP's support.

Reflecting on the revival of the Dharavi redevelopment project, Shinde said, "The Dharavi project was cancelled, but after our government came to power, we restarted it. To the people of Dharavi, I say: Let the opposition say what they want; our government is committed to providing you with good homes."

Shinde also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting classical language status to Marathi. "I thank the Prime Minister for this recognition. I also express my gratitude for the 'Ladli Didi' scheme, which was originally envisioned by Asha Tai in 1992," he added.

The Union Cabinet recently conferred classical language status to Marathi, along with Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, speaking at his faction's Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, announced plans to build temples dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district of Maharashtra.

Accusing the Mahayuti government of exploiting Shivaji Maharaj's legacy for political gains, Thackeray said, "They built a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj just for votes, but that statue collapsed. I promise that when we come to power, we will build a temple of Shivaji Maharaj in every district of Maharashtra."

A 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district, unveiled on December 4, 2022, during Navy Day celebrations and inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, collapsed on August 26, 2023.

The statue's collapse has fueled a political controversy, with opposition leaders criticising the Shinde government.

Thackeray also accused the BJP of using Shivaji Maharaj's name for electoral gains. "For them, Shivaji Maharaj is just a vote bank, but for us, he is God," Thackeray said.

The two rival factions of the Shiv Sena, one led by Shinde and the other by Thackeray, held separate Dussehra rallies, each seeking to demonstrate their strength ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra Assembly, consisting of 288 seats, will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce the election schedule.

The upcoming elections will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).