 chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar during the gathering of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers and office-bearers ahead of state Assembly elections, in Mumbai, Friday, Aug. 16,)
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar during the gathering of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers and office-bearers ahead of state Assembly elections, in Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: 'Saving' Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP and its ‘gaddar-allies’ is top priority for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, apparently, even more than who will become the next Chief Minister if the alliance is voted to power. The statement was made collectively by the leaders of the tri-party opposition coalition on Sunday in the run up to the announcement of Vidhan Sabha polls in the state.
The MVA (I.N.D.I.A.) opposition bloc leaders said that the BJP-led Maha Yuti (NDA) has pushed Maharashtra under the bus with multiple problems plaguing the state even as there is massive corruption and the seeming collapse of the administrative and police machinery too.
NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress President Nana Patole made it clear that there is no Haryana-type situation in Maharashtra and MVA would come to power.
"It is time for the people to unseat the current government from power…that is the number one priority… there is no difference among the MVA over the post of Chief Minister," said Patole, a former Legislative Assembly Speaker.
When asked about who the next Chief Minister would be, Thackeray said: “Forget Maha Vikas Aghadi… who would be the Chief Minister of the Maha Yuti?… let the BJP first decide their Chief Ministerial candidate… being in government they should announce first. However, the position is BJP is bad as they are forced to contest under the leadership of thieves and traitors.”
When Pawar was asked about it, he said: “Whatever Thackeray has said about the Chief Minister is quite clear and that is it.”
“The state is witnessing rapes, shootings, killings daily, women, senior citizens are insecure and now even political leaders accorded government security are not feeling safe. If the leaders of the ruling alliance are not safe then what is the guarantee for the safety of the ordinary people. The state has never fallen so low before,” said Patole.