In Vedanta-Foxconn episode, Sena & MVA allies find ammo for targeting Shinde govt

The BJP and the Shinde camp tried to pass on the blame to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that it failed to provide additional incentives to the Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture to set up the plant. But the Opposition, among them the Shiv Sena, alleged that the project was shifted due to political pressure from the Centre as Assembly polls are scheduled in Gujarat in the coming months. The Opposition also raised questions about Centre-state relations and if the state government needs to be aligned with the Centre to ensure big-ticket projects are installed.

Government insiders feel that the Opposition narrative about the government failing to create jobs will hurt it as it comes at a time the Shinde camp is under attack for allegedly forming the administration unconstitutionally and with the help of the BJP’s behind-the-curtain tactics. In the state’s hinterland, the 40 Sena rebel MLAs who joined hands with Shinde are battling a perception problem as they stand accused of “accepting khokas (boxes of cash in colloquial language)”.

The Shiv Sena’s charge against the Shinde-BJP administration was led by Uddhav Thackeray’s son and former state minister Aaditya, among others. “15th July 2022: HPC meeting is conducted for semiconductor project, offering all possible incentives. 25th- 26th July: current dispensation claims in Assembly & media that industry is coming to Maharashtra. Yet, Industries Dept loses out on this. 1 lakh job opportunity lost,” tweeted Aaditya.

15th July 2022: HPC meeting is conducted for semiconductor project, offering all possible incentives.

25th- 26th July: current dispensation claims in Assembly & media that industry is coming to Maharashtra.

Yet, Industries Dept loses out on this. 1 lakh job opportunity lost https://t.co/h06zRSrPAy

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) September 16, 2022

Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai, who was the industries minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, has said that Gujarat was nowhere in the picture when discussions about the project were on.

MVA allies also questioned the failure to keep the project in Maharashtra. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rohit Pawar wondered, “Why should Maharashtra youths pay the price? What was Maharashtra’s right has been forcibly taken away by Gujarat for polls?”

State Congress president Nana Patole vented his ire at the government, saying, “Modi and Shah have a design to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. But now it is evident they want to take away each and every right from Maharashtra.”

In response to the Opposition, state Industries Minister Uday Samant attempted to shift the blame on the MVA but it backfired when he announced that the incentive package provided by the Shinde government was Rs 39,000 crore. This led to questions about why the project moved to Gujarat if the incentive package was that generous. In response, Samant said only Anil Agarwal could answer this.

Sources said the narrative that the present government was losing jobs could hurt the ruling alliance. “The promise is to make Maharashtra the number one state and create ample jobs. Shinde may be blamed, but we are a part of the government. Plus, the Gujarati tag may not be of help ahead of civic polls where we hope Marathi voters will ditch the Thackerays and vote for the likes of Shinde,” said a BJP leader.