"Sharad Pawar's Betrayal Politics Began In 1978, BJP Ended It": Amit Shah

A month after BJP's big win in Maharashtra polls, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that his party's win ended the politics of betrayal and treachery started by veteran leader Sharad Pawar in 1978.

"The victory (of BJP) in Maharashtra ended the politics of instability and backstabbing started by Sharad Pawar in 1978. You (people) have buried such politics 20-foot in the ground," said Mr Shah, addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi.

In 1978, Sharad Pawar, who later founded Nationalist Congress Party, walked out of the Vasantdada Patil government with 40 MLAs and became the Chief Minister. Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar's nephew, split the party in 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, in which the BJP was also a partner. 

The BJP emerged the single largest party in 2024 state polls, winning 132 seats, which is also its highest seat tally in the state. 

"From 1978 till 2024, Maharashtra was prone to political instability. You have shown the way by bringing in a stable and strong Devendra Fadnavis government," stressed Mr Shah. 

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "... The victory (of BJP) in Maharashtra ended the politics of instability and backstabbing started by Sharad Pawar in 1978. Uddhav Thackeray betrayed us, he left the ideology of Balasaheb in 2019. Today you have shown him… pic.twitter.com/BzACZ9bOSJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2025

The Shiv Sena (undivided) and the BJP contested the 2019 assembly polls together, but Uddhav Thackeray ended the alliance over the Chief Minister's post. The BJP has repeatedly mocked him over the move.

"Uddhav Thackeray betrayed us. He left the ideology of Balasaheb in 2019. Today you have shown him his place. He became Chief Minister by treachery," said the Home Minister.

Mr Shah credited the BJP's big win in the state to "Hindutva aur Modi ji ki vikas ki rajneeti  (Modiji's politics of development)."

Calling BJP workers the real architects of the party's victory in the state, Mr Shah said, "You are the facilitator of the party's victory from panchayat to Parliament. You have to make BJP invincible so that no one dares to betray it again."

Noting that the BJP's victory in Maharashtra will have long-term consequences, Mr Shah said the historic win shattered the confidence of the opposition bloc INDIA, which has over two dozen parties.

"Our opponents were waiting that after Lok Sabha results, they will win in Maharashtra. You all have done the work of shattering these dreams of theirs," said Mr Shah.

The Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won over 230 of the state's 288 assembly seats, while opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction could win only 46 seats.