| 11 June 2023
In a recent exchange of verbal blows, the political drama between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) has taken a new turn. Following Amit Shah's accusation that Uddhav Thackeray betrayed the BJP after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has fired back, suggesting that the BJP is "afraid" of Thackeray.
Speaking in response to Shah's rally in Nanded on Saturday, Sanjay Raut expressed his satisfaction that the BJP appears to be fearful of Uddhav Thackeray. Taking to his social media account in Marathi, Raut wrote, "It is good that the BJP is scared of Uddhav Thackeray. It ensured a split in the party (Shiv Sena), gave name and its symbol to traitors; still, the fear of Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena (original) has not gone."
Raut also criticized Shah's speech, highlighting that out of the 20-minute address, seven minutes were dedicated to discussing Uddhav Thackeray. He questioned whether the rally in Nanded was intended as part of the BJP's Maha Sampark Abhiyan (mega outreach campaign) or merely an opportunity to criticize Thackeray.
During the aforementioned rally, Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of betraying the BJP by forming an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress to establish the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Shah claimed that Thackeray reneged on their agreement, wherein it was decided that if the NDA emerged victorious, Devendra Fadnavis would continue as the chief minister. Shah alleged that after the 2019 election results, Thackeray broke this promise and aligned with the NCP.
This verbal duel between the BJP and Shiv Sena highlights the deep-rooted animosity and political rift that emerged after the Maharashtra Assembly polls in 2019. The subsequent fallout led to the formation of a coalition government involving the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.
As the war of words continues, it remains to be seen how this ongoing clash will impact the political landscape in Maharashtra. With Sanjay Raut's staunch defense of Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena's scathing response to Amit Shah's accusations, it is clear that tensions between these former allies are far from subsiding. The BJP's alleged fear of Thackeray only adds fuel to the already fiery dynamics between the two parties.
With Maharashtra being a crucial state in Indian politics, these developments are closely watched by political analysts and observers, as they could potentially shape the future trajectory of the state's politics. The political battle lines have been drawn, and it remains to be seen how this clash will unfold in the coming months and its impact on the political fortunes of all the involved parties.
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