Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: State’s big four out all guns blazing

Those helping BJP are Maharashtrarsquos enemies UddhavShiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday hit the campaign trail and pitched the November 20 assembly polls as a battle between those who love Maharashtra and the ones who betray it as he reflected on the 2022 split in the partyThackeray hit out at his former ally BJP and its partners saying those helping the national party are ldquoenemiesrdquo of Maharashtra as he made a slew of promises to voters including building a temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in every district if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comes to powerAddressing his first rally of the 2024 assembly polls in Radhanagri in Kolhapur district mdashthe constituency of Prakash Abitkar one of the 40 Shiv Sena MLAs who rebelled against his leadership mdashhe said those who love the state are aligned with the opposition MVA which comprises the Shiv Sena UBT Congress and NCP SPThose helping the BJP a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti bloc are ldquoenemiesrdquo of Maharashtra Thackeray remarkedFurther attacking his onetime ally the former CM accused the BJP of ldquosellingrdquo Maharashtra to Gujarat where it is in powerSharad Pawar hints he may not seek another term as MPSharad Pawar addresses the gathering in Baramati PicPTIHinting at retirement from parliamentary politics NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will have to think about whether he should seek another Rajya Sabha term after his current tenure ends in 2026 Speaking at a campaign rally for grandnephew Yugendra Pawar at Supa in Baramati assembly constituency in the district the 83yearold leader said he has to stop at some point and make way for the new leadership He has won 14 elections during his political career noted the veteran leader who first entered the Maharashtra assembly in 1967 and was made a minister in the state five years laterldquoI will not be involved in the local politics here and gave all the responsibilities to Ajit dada For the first 30 years I was there later Ajit dada was there for another 25 to 30 years and now there is a need to for new leadershiprdquo he saidldquoI can only give one assurance I am not in power I am in the Rajya Sabha and I got one and a half yearsrsquo term left Afterwards I will have to take the decision as to whether to go to the Rajya Sabha again I will not contest Lok Sabha nor will I contest any other electionrdquo he saidLies have short life FadnavisDevendra Fadnavis during a campaign rally in Nagpur PicPTIDeputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday targeted the opposition Congress saying its ldquofakerdquo narrative on the Constitution has burst and asserted that lies do not last longIn response to a question Fadnavis said if the ruling Mahayutimdashcomprising the BJP Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawarrsquos NCPmdashgets reelected its constituents will sit together to decide who will be the CM This is his sixth assembly election He has been an MLA for the past 25 years starting 1999Speaking to reporters during the campaign Fadnavis said ldquoMy constituency is my family and my family have love for me The people will certainly elect merdquoNotably Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to hold lsquoSamvidhan Samman Sammelanrsquo in Nagpur on Wednesday Asked whether the opposition party is trying create a narrative again with the event Fadnavis said ldquolies have a short liferdquo Their ldquofakerdquo narrative has burst Now they again want to stage a ldquodramardquo which would not get any responserdquoUddhav lsquogave uprsquo Bal Thackerayrsquos principles ShindeEknath ShindeMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday hit out at Uddhav Thackeray for lsquoabandoningrsquo the principles of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had been formed against the peoplersquos wishesSpeaking at a campaign rally in Satara in support of Shambhuraj Desai Shinde also said the higher ldquostrike raterdquo of the Shiv Sena led by him in the Lok Sabha polls proved whose Shiv Sena is the real onersquoldquoSome people abandoned the principles of Bal Thackerayrdquo Shinde said taking a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray who joined hands with the Congress and NCP in 2019ldquoThe party was put up for sale Shiv Sena workers and the party were suppressed Shambhuraj Desai used to ask me when should we act rebel against Thackeray I asked him to wait for the right timerdquo said Shinde who split the Shiv Sena in 2022 and formed a government with the BJPldquoWe did not leave the Shiv Sena we stayed rescued the Shiv Sena saved its bowandarrow symbol and succeededrdquo he addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever