Sharply attacking Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray over his Dussehra speech, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the former chief minister was facing intense pressure following his party’s electoral defeat which caused him to give such distasteful speeches. He added that Thackeray’s remarks reflected his frustration as public perception of his credibility had waned, prompting him to resort to “venomous” rhetoric on Thursday. “Thackeray appears convinced that his political relevance hinges on criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He lacks the capacity to secure 51 per cent vote share like the Mahayuti, which is why he has intensified his attacks on the BJP, targeting the party to regain traction,” Bawankule said, adding that the party, however, remains focused on leading Maharashtra towards progress, undeterred by Thackeray’s verbal assaults. During the annual Dusshera rally held in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Thursday, Uddhav Thackeray had targeted the BJP government and its leaders at the Centre and in Maharashtra, accusing it of corruption, opportunism, and undermining the interest of the state and Mumbai. Promising to bring a white paper exposing alleged corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he warned that if the BJP managed to win the civic body polls, it would “surrender the city to Adani.” Underlining the Shiv Sena’s commitment to protecting Mumbai’s identity, Thackeray, in his speech, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and others, while likening the BJP to an “amoeba” that “expands everywhere but remains single-celled — leaving no room for others.” He accused the party of claiming the credit for projects initiated by the Sena (UBT) during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including the BDD chawl redevelopment and Mumbai’s nightlife reforms. Urging Marathis to show the BJP “its place” in the coming polls, the Sena (UBT) chief reiterated that his party was united with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by his cousin Raj Thackeray, and they had embraced each other to stay together. He exuded confidence that people would teach the BJP a lesson in the local body elections soon.
