Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has claimed that the Narendra Modi government has betrayed Maharashtra, and he apologised to the people for seeking votes for the Prime Minister in earlier elections.
Uddhav Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke at a rally at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Hatkanangale constituency, Satyajit Patil.
Talking about the circumstances in which his government fell in 2019, Mr Thackeray said the Supreme Court had not delivered its verdict on whose Shiv Sena was the real one, but the "Election Commission and the arbitrator (Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar) who were working as their (BJP's) servants, gave their verdicts."
"Now when PM Modi calls us fake Shiv Sena, he is putting pressure on the court," Mr Thackeray said.
Sharad Pawar said that PM Modi, during visits to Maharashtra, only criticises him (Pawar) and Uddhav Thackeray instead of speaking about his plans for the state.
Mr Pawar also accused the Centre of misusing central agencies and pointed to the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in alleged corruption cases.
Mr Thackeray said when no one was willing to join hands with the BJP, the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with it. The saffron party, however, brought down the government of a man whose family had given it everything, he said, referring to the fall of his government in June 2022.
"I apologise for seeking votes for Narendra Modi (in the past) because his government has betrayed Maharashtra," the Sena (UBT) chief added.
He also accused the BJP of using the Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha elections but scheming to defeat its candidates in assembly polls.
"You used Shiv Sainiks (in Lok Sabha polls) but defeated our candidates (in assembly polls). I have come to avenge it," said Mr Thackeray who parted ways with the BJP in 2019.
Mr Thackeray and Mr Pawar also shared the stage at a rally in Kolhapur city for Congress candidate Shahu Chhatrapati.
Mr Pawar said on the occasion that prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about the country when he visited the states, while Indira Gandhi would talk about poverty alleviation.
"But this PM can not rest till he targets Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. I want to tell Modi ji, however may you criticise us and bypass important issues facing the state and the country, the people of Maharashtra will teach you a lesson," he said.
Hitting out at PM Modi for calling Mr Pawar "bhatakti aatma," Mr Thackeray in his speech recalled that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had praised Mr Pawar's disaster management skills.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
