Ratnagiri, Oct 24 (PTI) Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Thursday said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is controlled and run by the Congress.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi along with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
Samant, who will file his nomination papers from Ratnagiri assembly seat on Friday, also said the vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls showed which was the real Shiv Sena.
“Uddhav Thackeray broke his alliance with the BJP because his party (undivided Shiv Sena) was not given 150 seats (in the 2019 assembly polls). Now, he is accepting the (MVA’s) 85-85 seat formula. One can make out from this that Shiv Sena (UBT) is controlled and run by the Congress,” Samant claimed.
Thackeray had broken the alliance with the BJP after the 2019 polls claiming the latter had gone back on the promise to share the chief ministerial tenure equally. The BJP has routinely denied any such agreement.
Slamming Aaditya Thackeray over the “khokhe” (crores as bribes) jibe aimed at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, Samant said he had been hearing this statement for the past two-and-half years but votes in the Lok Sabha polls showed which group was the real Shiv Sena.
The party founded by Bal Thackeray split in June 2022 after a rebellion by Shinde, which brought down the MVA government of Uddhav Thackeray.
Samant also said the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan in Sindhudurg on August 26 will not damage the Mahayuti’s prospects in the November 20 assembly polls.
“It was a very unfortunate incident. But action has been taken against those involved,” he pointed out.
He said the Mahayuti government, which comprises the Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar’s NCP and BJP, was focussed on development and people’s welfare.
Asked about help to rain-affected farmers, he said ‘panchnamas’ (loss assessment surveys) could not be done since the model code of conduct is in force (since October 15) for the assembly polls, but added the state government would take all efforts to help them. PTI PS BNM
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