“Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray Questions BJP’s Confidence Amidst Party Defections”
Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray took aim at the BJP-led NDA government in the state following the resignation of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan. Thackeray questioned the ruling party’s confidence ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, suggesting it may be suffering from “low self-confidence” amidst defections from the Opposition camp.
Thackeray accused the ruling NDA of poaching leaders from the Opposition, implying a lack of confidence and fear of defeat in the upcoming elections. He criticized the BJP’s tactics, suggesting that if the party had worked effectively during its tenure, it wouldn’t need to resort to splitting the Opposition.
Addressing a rally in Sambhajinagar, Thackeray questioned the BJP’s strategy and hinted at Chavan’s possible alignment with the BJP. He expressed disappointment over Chavan’s departure from the Congress but refrained from making allegations.
In a jibe at the BJP, Thackeray remarked on the influx of Congress leaders into the BJP, likening it to “Congress-occupied BJP.” He suggested that the BJP’s ambition to achieve a “Congress Mukta Bharat” remained unfulfilled.
Chavan’s resignation marks the latest in a series of prominent exits from the Congress in Maharashtra. Former MP Milind Deora and MLA Baba Siddique have also left the party.
The former MPCC president also served as MP of Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989 and was re-elected to the Lower House in May 2014. He was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee during the period 1986 to 1995.
He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms starting 1999 till May 2014.
He also served as Maharashtra CM from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010. On November 9, 2010, the Congress asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP.
He is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former chief minister of Maharashtra who also served as Union Home Minister.
While former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Nirupam acknowledged Chavan’s significance within the party, he attributed his departure to dissatisfaction with a Maharashtra leader’s working style.
Nirupam emphasized that addressing Chavan’s concerns could have prevented his resignation, lamenting the loss of such a valuable asset for the party.
Chavan, a former Maharashtra CM and MP, resigned from the Congress and the Maharashtra Assembly, citing personal reasons. His departure highlights the challenges facing the Congress in the state and underscores the need for internal cohesion amidst political shifts.
