Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that anybody from the BJP can defeat Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in state elections. The state BJP itself is capable of handling this and does not require the support of the central party unit, he added. Thakur was on a visit to Mumbai as part of BJP's Lok Sabha Pravas Yatra. He held meetings with the party's core district committee members in Mumbai South Central constituency. As part of the Lok Sabha Pravas Yatra, Thakur has been tasked to look after the two constituencies of Mumbai South Central and Kalyan. Interestingly, both these constituencies are represented by the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. During the 2019 polls, while the Kalyan seat was won by Shrikant Shinde, the son of the CM, Mumbai South Central was won by Rahul Shewale, who later joined the Shinde faction when Shiv Sena had split last June. The minister for Information and Broadcasting told mediapersons, “Anybody can defeat Aaditya Thackeray in state elections.” He was responding to a question on Aaditya's clarion call to the BJP and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena to fight from his constituency of Worli in the state polls. Thakur said, “The BJP is a huge party. Anybody is capable of giving a befitting reply to the Thackerays. I don't need to come to the state for it. What should one say about those (Thackerays) who cannot handle their own organisation.” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is not taken seriously by anybody, he added. Asked why he was visiting the constituencies of BSS, Thakur said, "The BJP respects its allies. I am visiting these constituencies to strengthen our base so that we could win the next (Lok Sabha) elections. We were allies at the time of the last Lok Sabha elections". He added that the BJP has always followed the dharma of alliance and considers party workers as its core strength.
