New Delhi:

Maharashtra leader Uddhav Thackeray is in Delhi on a three-day visit, the highlight of which will be a strategy session with alliance partner Congress ahead of the assembly elections in the state. The meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, is due tomorrow. A few other INDIA bloc parties, including the Trinamool Congress, are also expected to meet later – their first since the Lok Sabha election.

Ahead of the meeting with Sena, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi will have an internal meet tomorrow. 

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut, at whose house Mr Thackeray and his son, former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, are staying, said, “Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi are in Delhi so the discussion will be held in Delhi. We want to bring a government in the state”.

The assembly election for Maharashtra’s 288 seats is due in October, in which the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena is hoping for a major comeback, powered by the results of the Lok Sabha election. 

In 2019, the BJP – allied with the undivided Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray – won 23 of 25 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena contested the other 23 and won 18. 

This time, the BJP won just nine seats. Its allies — the splinter units of the Sena led by Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar — won eight of the 19 seats they contested.

The results were seen as the voters’ take on the massive political tumult that had overtaken the state since the 2019 state elections. Over the last two years, the matter has escalated, leading to back-t9o-back splits in the Shiv Sena and the NCP with the rebel factions in both groups joining hands with the BJP.  

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has already expressed confidence that a change in the government is inevitable in the state. 

To that end, tomorrow’s strategy session is expected to draw up a roadmap. The seat-sharing talks for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi — comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party — will be held in Mumbai, he has said. 

Mumbai:

Virtually kickstarting the campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) President Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday challenged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying “Either you will survive or I”, triggering a protest from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking at a pre-election preparatory meeting of party workers and leaders from Mumbai, Mr Thackeray said, “We endured everything but stood firm and taught the BJP a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections.”

“Our party was broken, we were targeted by central probe agencies, money power was used against us, and they even wanted to throw us in jail… But we survived everything and emerged victorious,” he said amid thunderous applause.

The former chief minister recalled how ex-Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had informed him that Mr Fadnavis was ‘conspiring’ to dump both Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray in jail.

Mr Thackeray warned Mr Fadnavis, saying, “If you act straight we shall be straight, but if you play crooked, we shall do likewise.” 

“Now either you will stay or I will,” he added.

He also reminded the gathering how the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) unitedly won 4 out of 6 LS seats in Mumbai, adding that the opposition’s performance made the top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, uncomfortable.

“Listening to PM Modi’s speeches has become painful now…” Mr Thackeray said.

On BJP’s charges of getting only minority votes in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Thackeray narrated an incident where a large number of Muslims were present and he asked them if they had reservations about him being a Hindu or his idea of Hindutva, and they unanimously said ‘no’.

Referring to the BJP as a “party of crooks”, Mr Thackeray claimed that in the recent past, he met many national Opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, who paid compliments to him by saying: “Uddhavji, you have shown a direction to the country”.

“I was never elected as a municipal corporator, I directly became the chief minister… I did everything possible. This (Assembly elections) is the last challenge for you. They broke the party. Sena is not a rusty sword, but a sharp weapon, and we must fight to save Mumbai and the state. They must be given a befitting reply,” Mr Thackeray said.

Claiming that those who split and left the party now want to return to the party fold, Mr Thackeray reiterated that those who want to leave can go, but “we will continue the political fight with our Shiv Sainiks as our name has put fear in them”.

Mr Thackeray also said that the dispute over the Shiv Sena name and poll symbol — which were allotted to the group led by chief minister Eknath Shinde — has created confusion among the people, “but the Supreme Court verdict will come in our favour”.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including state President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Ashish Shelar, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Pravin Darekar, Ashish Shelar, and others, lashed out at Mr Thackeray, accusing him of “sowing communal divisions among the people”, and saying “you will have to take 100 births before finishing Mr Fadnavis’ politics”.

Mr Bawankule said Mr Thackeray has forgotten how he got his MPs elected in Narendra Modi’s name, but when he was the chief minister, he backstabbed the BJP and even hatched a conspiracy to put Mr Fadnavis in jail, “but with people’s blessings, he could not succeed”.

The state BJP chief alleged Pakistani flags were seen in Mr Thackeray’s meetings in Nashik and Mumbai, but now he’s talking about finishing Mr Fadnavis.

He also accused Mr Thackeray of provoking such elements and polarising different castes and religions that have lived harmoniously here.

Mr Mungantiwar said the late Balasaheb Thackeray would never have gone with the Congress, but Uddhav Thackeray did and abandoned Hindutva for power.

Slamming Mr Thackeray for making ‘personal threats’ against the deputy chief minister, Mr Darekar said his comments were manifestations of failure and helplessness, but “in the Assembly elections, PM Modi is not required as Shinde-Fadnavis are sufficient for you”.

Mr Shelar said, “We accept your challenge. The BJP will ensure that the masses show Shiv Sena (UBT) its place in the upcoming elections.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Chandrakant Khaire, Kishori Pednekar, Kishore Tiwari, and others lauded Mr Thackeray for his bold and no-holds-barred speech, as they took potshots at the BJP saying “don’t forget, he is the scion of Balasaheb Thackeray”.

Mumbai:

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has filed a fresh petition in the Bombay High Court urging it to take an early decision on its plea for the disqualification of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s 14 MLAs before the Maharashtra Assembly elections slated for September-October.

This was confirmed by Shiv Sena MLA and chief whip Bharat Gogawale here on Friday.

After Mr Shinde’s rebellion, 15 MLAs remained with the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction while 40 legislators, including Mr Shinde, along with 10 Independents joined hands with the BJP to form the Mahayuti government in June 2022.

“Shiv Sena had already filed a petition for the disqualification of legislators of Shiv Sena (UBT). A fresh petition has been filed requesting the High Court for an early judgment before the Assembly elections,” said Mr Gogawale.

He added that the Election Commission had handed over the Sena party and bow and arrow symbol to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“So we are the real Shiv Sena and not the Shiv Sena (UBT). The legislators of the Thackeray group have not followed our whip. If the disqualification is not decided before the Assembly elections, the petition becomes ineffective. Therefore, in the fresh petition we have appealed to the High Court to decide the matter on disqualification before the election,” he added.

The Shiv Sena had moved the Bombay High Court in January this year, challenging Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s decision to not disqualify SS(UBT) MLAs.

Mr Narwekar in his ruling had said that the Shiv Sena was legitimate in view of the support of the majority of party legislators. However, the Speaker refused to disqualify any member from either of the factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray.

Mr Gogawale in his petition filed in January this year said that on July 3, 2022, he had issued a whip to all Shiv Sena members to vote in favour of the Shinde-led government for the confidence motion in the Assembly on July 4, following a split in the party.

He added that the 14 legislators of the Shiv Sena(UBT) violated the whip and also voluntarily gave up membership of the Shiv Sena political party by their acts and omissions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Resort politics has made a comeback in Maharashtra, and so has the possibility of cross-voting and horsetrading, as the state gears up to hold elections for 11 Legislative Council seats on Friday. Riding high after its unexpectedly good performance in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it won 30 of the state’s 48 seats, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded three candidates, one more than it has the numbers to elect, necessitating the election.

The Maharashtra Assembly, which has 288 seats, currently has 274 members, meaning that every MLC candidate needs 23 first-preference votes to get elected. The ruling Mahayuti – part of the larger NDA alliance – which consists of the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, has fielded nine candidates and has 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties, backing it. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is under the INDIA umbrella, has the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) as its key constituents and has put up three candidates despite having the support of only 67 MLAs. Six MLAs, including an independent, are neutral and may end up playing a key role in the elections because 12 candidates are now vying for 11 MLC seats. 

What makes the exercise interesting, apart from the numbers game, is its timing – just after the Lok Sabha elections and months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state – which has led to it being dubbed a semi-final. This is also only the second time that elections will be held in Maharashtra’s unique political environment, where the split of two regional parties has led to two Shiv Senas and two NCPs – under very similar but different names – being pitted against each other. 

The Lok Sabha polls were the first round and parties from both sides are now pulling out all stops to ensure that they come out tops in the second. After Ajit Pawar’s NCP won just one Lok Sabha seat, there has been a strong buzz that MLAs from his party are looking to jump ship and return to the faction of the party led by Sharad Pawar. Their support is what may have given the opposition the confidence to field a third candidate.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who triggered the need for the election by fielding his close aide, Milind Narvekar, had said, “We would not be doing it (fielding a third candidate) if we had not been confident of winning.”

How The Numbers Stack Up – Mahayuti

The BJP, which has 103 MLAs, has fielded five candidates – Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe and Sadabhau Khot – which means that it is 12 MLAs short of the number it needs to get them elected.

The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena has 37 members in the Assembly and has put up two candidates – Krupal Tumane and Bhawana Gawli. It is nine MLAs short.

The faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar has 39 MLAs and has two candidates in the fray,  Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje, falling seven short of the 46 votes needed to get them elected. 

The ruling coalition is, however, banking on nine MLAs from smaller parties and 13 Independents to see it through. 

How The Numbers Stack Up – Maha Vikas Aghadi

The Congress, with 37 MLAs and one candidate, Pradyna Satav, is the only party with 14 surplus votes. Sharad Pawar’s NCP, with its 13 MLAs, is supporting the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP’s) Jayant Patil. 

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has put up Mr Narve as a candidate despite having just 15 MLAs, eight short of the figure it needs. 

The Congress votes may make up for the shortfall faced by Mr Patil and Mr Narve, but the votes of the AIMIM’s two MLAs, the SP’s two, the CPI(M)’s lone MLA and one Independent – all of whom are seen to be neutral – will be key. The Congress has claimed the coalition has the support of at least some of these MLAs

MLAs In Hotels

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, organised a dinner meeting for his party MLAs at a hotel in Mumbai on Thursday night. The Congress has issued a whip to its MLAs asking them to vote for candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Exact instructions, given the surplus votes, will be issued just before voting begins, reported news agency PTI. 

Uddhav Thackeray held a dinner interaction with his MLAs at a five-star hotel in central Mumbai on Wednesday night. All 11 MLAs who attended the meeting stayed back at the hotel, where the four remaining legislators joined them on Thursday, said a party leader. 

Ajit Pawar’s NCP has moved its MLAs to a five-star hotel near the airport in suburban Mumbai while MLAs from Shiv Sena gathered in Vidhan Bhavan complex on Wednesday morning for a meeting and then moved to a five-star hotel in Bandra. 

BJP MLAs are also at a luxury hotel, but the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has not made any such move. 

Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra president of the NCP, said, “We have full faith in our MLAs and don’t feel the need to keep them in five-star hotels.” 

Voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and counting of votes will begin an hour later. 

(With inputs from PTI)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday described the BJP’s alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as a time-tested friendship, bound by common ideals and a shared vision for India’s development.

PM Modi made these remarks when members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP called on him.

The newly elected MPs from Maharashtra congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his third consecutive term in office and extended best wishes for his future endeavours.

“Had a great meeting with Shiv Sena MPs. Ours is not a political alliance – it is a time-tested friendship, bound together by common ideals and a shared vision for India’s development,” the prime minister said in a post on X.

Had a great meeting with Shiv Sena MPs. Ours is not a political alliance- it is a time-tested friendship, bound together by common ideals and a shared vision for India’s development. It is commendable how Shri @mieknathshinde Ji is working tirelessly for Maharashtra’s progress… pic.twitter.com/XvBmAesWyW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 1, 2024

PM Modi said it was commendable how Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was working tirelessly for Maharashtra’s progress and to fulfil the great Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals.

Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in September-October and the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP have announced to contest the polls as a coalition.

Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde said that during the meeting with the PM, development works in Maharashtra were discussed.

The delegation presented the prime minister with a statue of Vitthal Rakhumai.

NCP Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare was also present during the meeting.

Shiv Sena parliamentarians Shrikant Shinde, Shrirang Appa Barne, Dhairyasheel Mane, Naresh Mhaske, Ravindra Waikar, Sandipanrao Bhumare, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav, and Rajya Sabha member Milind Deora were present during the meeting. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for his statement that the monsoon session beginning June 27 will be the farewell session of the MahaYuti government.

“Shouldn’t he (Uddhav Thackeray) be in the House to give a farewell? Or will he say goodbye from a Facebook Live? The people will decide whether to bid a farewell,” Shinde said, asserting that those sitting in the government are connected to the people and have done a slew of works for their betterment.

The obvious reference was Uddhav Thackeray’s regular use of Facebook Live during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s tenure, instead of coming to the Mantralaya.

Shinde, who chaired the state Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, also criticised the opposition for its move to boycott the customary tea meeting convened by him on the eve of the monsoon session.

“This is the last session of the present state Assembly. So we thought that the opposition would come and discuss a range of issues during the tea meeting. However, they gave a letter mentioning the same issues, which the government will reply to in the House. The opposition is confused,” claimed Shinde.

“The opposition may have got momentary happiness after the Lok Sabha elections, but despite all the attacks, Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the third time,” the Chief Minister said, as he reiterated that the opposition spread a fake narrative that changes will be made in the Constitution and reservation policies.

‘’Despite spreading such fake narratives, Congress got only 99 seats and the party will need another 25 years to win 240 seats,” he said.

“The Shiv Sena and the Uddhav Thackeray camp were pitted against each other in 13 seats, of which we won seven seats. Of the total 19 per cent votes, bow & arrow (Sena symbol) got 14.50 per cent. So what did the Thackeray cam get,” Shinde asked.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

The Sena versus Sena battle heated up on the occasion of the Shiv Sena foundation day as Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde held parallel programmes in two parts of Mumbai. And from Sion’s Shanmukhanand Hall, Uddhav Thackeray, powered by the people’s support, issued an open challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Modi-ji I invite you to start campaign for assembly election in Maharashtra… it will be you versus me,” he said, pointing to the election due by year-end.

“My message to the BJP — try winning an election without using my original symbol. I am proud that we did not use anyone else’s picture. We will never use either, especially of PM Modi. I challenge PM Modi to start preparations today – keeping this fake Shiv Sena away,” he added.

Mr Thackeray also rubbished speculation about the two Sena factions joining hands and remaining in the NDA fold. He would never go with those who tried to “finish off” his party, Mr Thackeray said.

Though the rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde was awarded the name and election symbol of the undivided Shiv Sena by the Election Commission, the voters had decisively settled the legacy issue. And they did not agree with the poll body.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena won nine seats and the Shinde faction seven.

The other party in the same boat,  the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, won eight seats. The faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar — which also got the name and party symbol from the Election Commission — only one.

Ally Congress won 13 seats.

The people’s disapproval of the political upheaval in the state extended to the BJP, which, Mr Shinde once let slip, had engineered the Sena split. The party’s score was cut down to nine seats, from 23 in 2019 .

But Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remained determined to push the point he based his rebellion on — that Mr Thackeray had strayed from the ideology set down by Sena founder and his father Balasaheb Thackeray.

“Where has your Hindutva gone? You have no right to seek votes in Balasaheb Thackeray’s name,” he said at a massive rally in Worli’s NSCI dome.  “Even a small kid will tell you that the Shiv Sena UBT won because of the Congress’ vote bank. Those who left Bal Thackeray’s thoughts for position, lost in the election. Bal Thackeray always talked against the Congress,” he added.

But Mr Thackeray had already covered the point.

“We got votes of all patriots, people of all religions. They said we left Hindutva, because we went with the Congress. I did not leave Hindutva. If everyone voted for us to save the country and the constitution, then people are with us. It shows the BJP is the one that left Hindutva,” Mr Thackeray said.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray saying he buried the Hindutva ideology of Bal Thackeray for power and joined hands with Congress and socialist parties.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena in Azad Maidan, Mr Shinde, without naming Uddhav Thackeray, said he back-stabbed Bal Thackeray by committing dishonesty with his ideological legacy.

Mr Shinde said he won’t be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even “hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)”.

He also reiterated that the state government is committed to granting quota to Marathas which will stand the legal scrutiny and appealed to youths not to take extreme steps like dying by suicide.

“You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given ‘Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai’ slogan from ‘Shivtirth’ (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like ‘Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hai’ are being given from that venue,” Mr Shinde said.

The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray organised conventional annual Dusshra rally on Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, which the party terms ‘Shivtirth’.

He said the parties who used to target the BJP by questioning the timeline for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya are feeling embarrassed now.

“They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?” he asked.

Before reaching the venue of the rally on Tuesday night, Mr Shinde went to Cross Maidan, also in south Mumbai, to witness Ravan dahan (burning of effigy of Ravan) as part of Ram Leela celebrations.

A large number of people reached Azad Maidan from various parts of the state in buses, trains, and private vehicles.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Opposition Bloc INDIA can have its 3rd assembly in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena (UBT) has introduced. The celebration will host the meet, the place the united Opposition is anticipated to draft its Habitual Minimal Programme.

There may be expectation that an 11-member coordination committee can be named, “At that meeting in Mumbai, we will decide on who the 11 will be, who the Convenor will be, etc. These are small things,” Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge had mentioned.

The meet comes days upcoming the Opposition’s Deny-Self assurance Movement in opposition to the Narendra Modi govt — and the plan to compel him to talk on Manipur — collapsed. The High Minister in short discussed Manipur most effective upcoming a walkout by means of the Opposition, carried out upcoming 90 mins of his pronunciation.

With that background, the Opposition turns out to have its paintings trim out, understanding a fail-safe roadmap for the then spherical of meeting elections and the overall election then occasion.

The query of Opposition cohesion, too, must be settled in view of a few feedback by means of leaders of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Birthday party, whose fragile vacay with the Congress seems to be ceaselessly underneath ultimatum.

The Shiv Sena UBT, which issued the ask over, posted a teaser video on X, previously Twitter, drawing on optic from the sooner conferences of the fresh bloc, which introduced its title in Bengaluru extreme future.

“Those who want to bring dictatorship in the country, We will be against them!” reads a coarse translation of the caption.

जे देशात हुकूमशाही आणू पाहतात,
त्यांच्या विरोधात आम्ही असणार!#INDIA#जितेगाइंडिया#JeetegaINDIApic.twitter.com/6bxM3mXdtz

— ShivSena – शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) August 28, 2023

Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, ministers MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Mamata Banerjee and RJD Lalu Prasad had been amongst those that took section within the two-day meet. Sharad Pawar, whose celebration underwent a break in June with the insurrection of nephew Ajit Pawar, additionally joined in.

Pronouncing the fresh title for the Opposition Bloc in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi had mentioned: “The fight is between NDA and INDIA, Narendra Modi and INDIA, his ideology and INDIA… The fight is about two different ideas of India… The fight is for the voice of the country.”

Calling the bloc “old wine in new bottle”, the BJP had pitched “Bharat” in opposition to “INDIA”.

“Today people are seeing who all are a part of NDA. They work for the shoshit and vanchit, adivasis and peechhdas (exploited and deprived, tribals and backward communities)… It is dedicated to the people of the country,” PM Modi had mentioned.

“Its motto is Nation First, Progress First, Empowerment of the People First… NDA is doing social justice as envisioned by Gandhi and Ambedkar,” he had added.