Maharashtra Assembly elections: Polls will be fight against betrayal and for Maharashtra's self-respect, says Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections will be a fight against betrayal and for Maharashtra's self-respect, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, Uddhav Thackeray was addressing party workers on the occasion of Vasant More, a Pune-based political leader who was earlier with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), formally joining the Shiv Sena (UBT).

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Vasant More unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Maharashtra's Pune seat as a candidate of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). BJP's Murlidhar Mohol defeated Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar from this seat.

Uddhav Thackeray said that the Pune city should now be the centre of change of power in the state.

The Lok Sabha poll was a battle to save the Constitution, he said, adding, "The assembly elections will be against betrayal and helplessness. It will be for

Maharashtra's fight is for self-respect," the former chief minister said.

He was referring to the rebellion in the undivided Shiv Sena two years ago by party MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, who later became the chief minister.

Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October this year.

Meanwhile, earlier, while speaking about the recent Lok Sabha polls, Uddhav Thackeray said the defeat of his party candidates in Aurangabad, Raigad and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg hit him hard.

He urged his workers to ask voters the reason behind party candidate Chandrakant Khaire's loss from Aurangabad.

Uddhav Thackeray said Shiv Sena leader Sandipan Bhumre's win in Aurangabad was achieved by stealing his party's name and symbol.

The former CM acknowledged the 'burning torch' symbol of the Shiv Sena (UBT), which it got post the split, could not effectively reach people in the Lok Sabha polls.

Hitting back, Shinde said Thackeray should stop "whining" as people voted for the Shiv Sena since the latter had abandoned the ideals of founder Bal Thackeray.

"For how long will you whine? People voted for us because he (Thackeray) abandoned the ideals of Balasaheb. We fought 13 seats against them and won seven.

Their (Shiv Sena UBT) strike is 42 per cent and ours is 47 per cent," CM Shinde said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 21 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and won nine, while the Shinde-led Sena contested 15 seats and emerged victorious on seven. In direct fights between the two parties on 13 seats, the Shiv Sena won seven.

CM Shinde asserted the Lok Sabha results had showed people voted from his party, adding "the assembly polls will make it more evident whose party is the real Shiv Sena".

Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Thackeray had said the assembly polls, likely to be held in October-November, will be fought on Maharashtra's self-respect.

(with PTI inputs)