Shinde calls Thackeray cousins’ love for Marathi manoos fake

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday slammed Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, claiming their love for ‘Marathi manoos’ is fake and that their real interest lies in the coffers of the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).Addressing a Mahayuti rally at Worli in central Mumbai, he echoed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ assertion that the city’s next mayor will be a Marathi. The BJP and Shiv Sena have tied up for the civic polls in the city. He also took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for jointly presenting the key aspects of their alliance’s election manifesto, asking where their vision had been when the Thackerays were in power.

“These cunning people earned only money all these years and looted Mumbai,” he said without naming anyone.Before the last BMC polls in 2017, the undivided Shiv Sena, headed by Uddhav Thackeray, had controlled the corporation for more than two decades. Shinde said people have dislodged the Thackerays from power, “which is why they are now coming out with a vision statement”. Those criticising the ‘Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yoajana’ are coming out with similar schemes, he said, referring to Aaditya and Amit’s announcement that the Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance would give Rs 1,500 to women househelps and women from the Koli community. Under the popular Ladki Bahin scheme, eligible women beneficiaries across the state receive monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500.

Shinde said the Thackerays’ claim that Mumbai would be taken away from Maharashtra was used as a poll plank in 2012 and 2017. “No one can break Mumbai from Maharashtra. People of Mumbai do not want politics of emotions, but development,” Shinde said. The deputy CM said it is necessary to set free Mumbai from corruption and the clutches of “Bakasur” demon, he said, alluding to the Thackeray family’s long hold over BMC.

Targeting Uddhav and Raj, Shinde said, “You are trumpeting that you have come together for Marathi manoos, then why did you part ways 20 years ago. It was because of your selfishness and arrogance.” “When people defeated them, they were reminded of the Thackeray brand. But the original brand is Balasaheb (Thackeray) and party workers who will help win the polls,” he said. Shinde said the Mahayuti rally is the beginning of the celebration of the BJP-Sena alliance in the BMC. The Mahayuti has so far won 68 seats unopposed in the upcoming polls in 29 civic bodies. The elections will be held on January 15, and votes will be counted the next day.