Aim must be to win all 48 Maharashtra Lok Sabha seats, Shah tells BJP workers

Addressing a gathering of BJP workers in Kolhapur, he also lashed out at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for "surrendering at the feet of (Nationalist Party Congress chief) Sharad Pawar" to become chief minister

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday set the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies a target of winning all 48 seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a gathering of BJP workers in Kolhapur, he also lashed out at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for "surrendering at the feet of (Nationalist Party Congress chief) Sharad Pawar" to become chief minister.

Thackeray had broken the alliance with BJP after the 2019 Assembly poll results were declared claiming the latter had reneged on its promise to share the chief ministerial tenure with the Shiv Sena.

He teamed up with the NCP and Congress and led the Maha Vikas Aghadi, till a rebellion by Eknath Shinde brought it down in June last year.

"In 2019, the BJP and its allies won 42 out of 48 seats. This time, we should win all 48 seats," Shah told his party workers.

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Attacking Thackeray, Shah said, "Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena was surrendered at the feet of Sharad Pawar. (Thackeray) contested Assembly elections with us with the largest cut-outs being that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But after the results were out, he (Thackeray) surrendered at the feet of Pawar."

"We are not greedy for power nor have we ever sacrificed our principles. The last Maharashtra assembly election was contested under the leadership of then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. PM Modi and I had openly said this during our rallies. Despite this, (Thackeray) joined hands with the opposition," he added.

Hailing the Election Commission's decision on Friday to recognise the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and giving it the bow and arrow symbol, Shah said they (Thackeray group) will now learn a lesson. "By deceit you can attain power for few days, but when it comes to the battlefield, you need courage to win," Shah said without naming Thackeray.

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