Maharashtra is "at the centre of the Kurukshetra battle", fighting on multiple fronts like Covid and corruption investigations, the ruling Shiv Sena has said in a stinging editorial that takes digs at the BJP, its former partner.
In the Saamana editorial heavy on references from the epic Mahabharata, the Sena says the BJP "should not become an Abhimanyu". Abhimanyu was a character known for plunging into a difficult fight without an exit strategy.
"Maharashtra is battling the Covid pandemic but now it also has to battle autocratic action by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. Mamata Banerjee has fought and won against such autocrats. Maharashtra needs to adopt the same path to fight them," the Sena says.
"The Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) must have said all this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
The comments are significant as a meeting last month between Mr Thackeray and PM Modi, which segued into a one-on-one interaction, has fueled speculation that the parties -- partners for 25 years before their split in 2019 -- are on the verge of reviving their alliance in Maharashtra.
The buzz has intensified amid reports of growing strain in the Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress coalition, specifically over an investigation targeting former minister Anil Deshmukh of the NCP.
The Shiv Sena editorial referred to the meeting last evening between Mr Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar.
The comments are significant as a meeting last month between Mr Thackeray and PM Modi.
"On Tuesday, in the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, this strategy must have been adopted. In the Mahabharata Lord Krishna took his Rath right to the centre of the Kurukshetra battle and fought enemies on all side and defeated 'adharma'," it said.
When Sharad Pawar left the Chief Minister's home "you could see joy and satisfaction on Mr. Pawar's face" the Saamana editorial said.
"The CM has also become more confident now. And what can I say about the Congress. All their top leaders are in the most comfortable positions now and hence the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government is moving like Lord Krishna's Rath on the Kurukshetra battlefield and destroying the enemy."
On the BJP, the Sena said their confidence about toppling the government in Maharashtra had been completely destroyed.
The party said the BJP "can go drum beating" that the Maharashtra government was about to fall but it was not going to happen.
Speaking about the Thackeray-Modi meeting, the Sena remarked: "They met in Delhi and rumours started floating around that there will be a secret swearing-in again at the Raj Bhavan. If anyone is dreaming about it, then it is a political nightmare."
It added: "What has happened in the meeting in Delhi that 'media corporations' are announcing dates of new government formation? Uddhav Thackeray must have told the PM that the BJP is responsible for whatever political formations have happened in Maharashtra. If the BJP hadn't pushed the Shiv Sena to this point, this current government would not have been formed. This must have been discussed."
The Sena also said the BJP was "hallucinating about political instability in the state" by using the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and the Governor to target the government.
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