Nagpur: Continuing his criticism of Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intensified his remarks on Friday. Fadnavis claimed that Thackeray’s alliance with ideological adversaries Congress and NCP in 2019 was driven by his irresistible attraction to the Chief Minister’s position, likening it to the pull of a magnet.
This statement reflects Fadnavis’ belief that Thackeray’s political choices were motivated primarily by personal ambition rather than consistent ideology. The rift between the two leaders continues to deepen as they exchange barbs and accusations in the political landscape. On Thursday, Fadnavis had launched a scathing attack against Thackeray while addressing party workers in Pune.
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13 May 2025
Speaking at a BJP workers’ meet in Katol on Friday during his first visit to the town after taking over charge of Nagpur’s Guardian Minister, he said, “We have witnessed that whosoever joined hands with both these parties (Congress, NCP) has been destroyed.
“He (Thackeray) left his ideology due to which those who were with him for all these years deserted him. His former party members like MLA Ashish Jaiswal and MP Krupal Tumane, under CM Eknath Shinde, again joined hands with BJP to form the government of the alliance for which the people had voted in 2019,” he said adding that in just nine months after forming the government, they have taken many people-friendly decisions.
Reiterating that BJP was stabbed in the back by Thackeray after 2019 polls for formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government, Fadnavis said BJP adopted Shivaji Maharaj’s technique of guerrilla warfare to win the fort back. “We brought back ideological friends from their group and restored the BJP-Shiv Sena Government under CM Shinde with your blessings,” he told the party workers.
Emphasizing that the country has witnessed a sea change in nine years of BJP-led government at the Centre, the Deputy CM said India would be at the top in the next five years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
The Deputy CM said, “We all need just one year of yours, six this year and six next year, and there would be no need to look back. BJP is going to win with a landslide in the 2024 polls under Modi. Under Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the country is witnessing good infrastructure development.”
Taking a swipe at the Opposition parties, he said, they only gave slogans of ‘Garibi Hatao’ “while themselves becoming rich”.
“Both Katol and Narkhed had not seen water reaching their households for all these years since Independence. Under PM’s Jal Jeevan Mission, these towns are now getting sufficient tap water. He even started schemes for providing gas cylinders and sanitation facilities to the poor,” said Fadnavis.
