NDTV spoke to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray at a rally in Mumbai today
The people of Maharashtra have realised that the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde make hollow promises and have looted the state, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray told NDTV today.
The 34-year-old leader today filed his nomination from Worli seat in Mumbai that he currently holds. He led a massive rally of Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters in a show of strength ahead of the November 20 polls. He spoke to NDTV from atop the campaign vehicle.
Maharashtra's political landscape has changed between the 2019 state polls and the upcoming election. In 2019, the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance scored a thumping victory. The alliance fell through due to a disagreement over rotational chief ministership. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray then tied up with Sharad Pawar's NCP and the Congress to form the government. This government was toppled two years later due to a mutiny led by Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who then became Chief Minister with BJP's support. The Sena split and the NCP followed. Currently, the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP are part of the ruling coalition. They are up against the alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP.
Asked how this election is different, Mr Thackeray replied, "The biggest difference, if you look at the Lok Sabha polls too, is that people have realised that the BJP is a party of hollow promises. Maharashtra will stand against Eknath Shinde and BJP, who have looted the state."
The BJP-Sena-NCP alliance suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, winning just 17 of the 48 seats in the politically significant state. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, on the other hand, put up a stellar show by winning 30 seats.
On whether the state government's recently launched schemes will give a poll advantage to Mahayuti, he said, "They have woken up in the last month, we have been working on the ground for years. BJP and Eknath Shinde have looted Maharashtra like never before. Jobs and industries have gone away, and farmers' distress is at its highest. This is what we are fighting against."
To a question on the seat-sharing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, he said, "Everything will be sorted out today."
Asked about the Worli contest, he said, "You see the response of the people. That is the love of the people. The common man and woman on the streets, from their windows are giving me their blessings."
Asked if he had a message to Mahayuti and Sena leaders who switched to the Eknath Shinde camp when the party split, he said, "You mean the cowards who ran away to Gujarat? You have had enough of your loot, we are here to stop you, We will win Maharashtra and serve it better."