'Have seen how friends are ignored in greed for power'

Aaditya Thackeray indicated that the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress would ensure that the BJP does not win the forthcoming elections to the civic bodies

Nagpur In a veiled attack on the BJP, Shiv Sena leader and first-time MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday said he had seen how friends were ignored in the greed for power.

He also said that no matter how much mud was created, lotus (BJP's poll symbol) will not be allowed to bloom anywhere.

The Worli MLA was speaking in the Assembly over Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's address to the joint session of the state legislature in November.

"I have seen the greed for power and how friends are ignored for it. No matter how much mud is created, we will not let the lotus bloom anywhere," Thackeray said.

"The GST and notebandi decisions cost the society dearly. We were not even allowed to speak on the issues of demonetisation and its impact on the society," he added.

"We have to gear up to tackle the challenge of climate change and the ban on plastic material was taken keeping that in mind. There are promises made in the Governor's speech and not just 'jumalas' (rhetoric)," Thackeray said.

The BJP and Sena, which fought the Assembly polls in alliance, had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. However, the state witnessed a political crisis after the Sena broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post.

Finally, the Sena, NCP and Congress came together to form a government headed by Uddhav Thackeray, who took oath as CM on November 28.