Maharashtra BJP president and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday took a swipe at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its decision to contest the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra independently, citing organisational growth and opportunities for party workers as the primary reasons. Bawankule opined this move showed the Sena-UBT’s realisation that aligning with the Congress in 2019, after parting ways with the BJP, was a mistake.
Speaking about the decision, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “The lack of opportunities for workers of respective parties in an alliance and the right to organisational growth were the major considerations for contesting solo.”
Bawankule, responding to the announcement, remarked, “The Shiv Sena (UBT) has realised its blunder of choosing the Congress over BJP and Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has realised the Congress’ ideology cannot take it forward”, news agency PTI reported.
He further alleged that Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to sever the decades-old alliance with the BJP after the 2019 assembly elections was based on claims that the BJP had reneged on a promise to share the chief ministerial post. Thackeray subsequently aligned with the Congress and the undivided NCP and served as chief minister between 2019 and 2022.
Bawankule assured that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, would work to ensure unity in the upcoming polls. “The BJP will not be arrogant and will try to accommodate allies in local polls. If one party, or an alliance with one ideology, is in power from the Centre to the panchayat level, then each and every paisa earmarked for development reaches the grassroots from Delhi,” he explained.
“I would like to clarify that the BJP, which has emerged as the biggest party in recently concluded assembly polls, will contest as part of Mahayuti. The Modi government and the state government are doing a wonderful job. The Mahayuti will make Maharashtra number 1,” he remarked.
VIDEO | Here’s what Maharashtra Minister and BJP’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) said on Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decision to contest Maharashtra local bodies polls solo.
“I would like to clarify that the BJP, which has emerged as the biggest party in recently… pic.twitter.com/4gYZO4IyCy
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 11, 2025
The pending civic polls in major urban areas such as Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur have been delayed since early 2022.
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Chandrashekhar Bawankule On BJP’s Convention In Shirdi
Speaking about the BJP’s day-long convention scheduled in Shirdi on Sunday, Bawankule announced that 15,000 delegates, including 50 from each assembly constituency, would participate. “The convention is being held to prepare the cadre so that welfare schemes of the Union and state governments reach the beneficiaries at the grassroots level. The convention will be historic,” he stated.
Bawankule highlighted the significance of Shirdi, located in the Ahilyanagar district, and the ideals of ‘shraddha’ (faith) and ‘saburi’ (patience) associated with Sai Baba, as inspirations for the BJP’s success.
