Shiv Sena: Results of panchayat polls show voters have given mandate to MVA government

In a broadside at its former ally, the Sena said “activists” in the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax would not be able to achieve the BJP’s objective of “regime change”.

An editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana stated that the people have accepted the Thackeray-led government. The defamatory campaigns by the opposition in the last one year and the “poisonous” campaigning against the government had had no impact in the polls, the editorial stated.

“The Thackeray-led government is resolving the issues of the people and has taken up development works. All the MVA allies have put up a good show in the gram panchayat elections. What is this if not a vote in favour of the Thackeray government in the state? What else is this if not the mandate for the Thackeray government?” asked Saamana.

The polls were held in 12,711 gram panchayats for a total of 1.25 lakh seats across the state on January 15 and the results were announced on Monday. While the gram panchayat polls are not fought on party symbols, the panels are formed by political parties or local leaders to contest them. The MVA and BJP claimed that they have won maximum gram panchayats.

The editorial further stated that the BJP should accept the people’s mandate in the gram panchayat polls, or else the people will further rout the party. “Political revolution cannot be made in Maharashtra using activists in the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Income Tax,” it said.

The editorial also stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular leader in the country, but Uddhav Thackeray is popular in Maharashtra.