Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (L), Raj Thackery with Uddhav Thackeray.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: The ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti remained unfazed by the Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — coming together with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying that a hype has been built in a way that Russia and Ukraine have come together.
"The hype is being created in such a way as if Russia and Ukraine have come together... and (the two Presidents)… as if (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and (Vladimir) Putin are talking,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.
Fadnavis, who calls the shots for the BJP, said Thackeray brothers have come together for their fight for existence. However, he added that Marathi manoos will vote for Maha Yuti.
“The alliance is between two parties that have lost their identity. People don't trust them. They have lost their vote bank by doing politics of appeasement. Coming together of these two parties will have no impact,” the CM said, adding: “Both the parties have joined hands to save their identity. People of Mumbai have seen development work done by us and that is why Mumbai is with us and will remain so.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is the Shiv Sena's leader, said that the alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS is for vested interests.
"The alliance of Raj and Uddhav Thackeray is only for selfish interests and for power. Ours is an alliance for development, theirs is an alliance for settlement,” said Shinde, adding that there was no mention of development in the Uddhav-Raj joint press conference announcing their tie-up.
“Those who cannot even take care of their own children, how will they manage Mumbai or Maharashtra?,” he said to a query.
"They have no development agenda, their goal is only to get power. These people drove Marathi-speaking people out of Mumbai. The Vidhan Sabha polls and recent municipal council and town panchayat elections have shown which is the fake and which is the real Shiv Sena," said Shinde, who in June-July 2022 rebelled against Thackeray and dislodged him as Chief Minister and eventually replacing him and taking control of the party.
“People have taught them a lesson for deviating against the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.