21 April,2024 02:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Chandrashekhar Bawankule. File Pic
In a sharp retort to Uddhav Thackeray's recent claims, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule launched a scathing attack on Sunday, implying that if a survey were conducted to identify the most "worthless" individuals in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief would most likely rank first.
Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday, during a rally in Mumbai's Dharavi claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had told him that he (Fadnavis) would train Aaditya to become the CM and the latter would move to Delhi. At the time, the parties were allies.
Bawankule's remark came after Thackeray's comments which Devendra Fadnavis previously dismissed; the latter, dismissing Thackeray's charges as unfounded, said Thackeray had "lost his mind", reported PTI.
According to the report, speaking to the media, Bawankule stated that Thackeray's popularity was declining, as indicated by the low turnout at his rallies. He felt that Thackeray was aware of his declining political influence and would be sidelined during the general elections.
"If you surveyed people asking them about the most worthless people in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray would top the list. His popularity is on the decline. Nobody is willing to hold his rallies, and people are not turning up," Bawankule said per the PTI report.
According to the report, he said, "Uddhav Thackeray knew he would have to sit at home after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024."
Bawankule also criticised Aaditya Thackeray, challenging his fitness for leadership positions. He criticised Aaditya's track record, claiming that he had not made major contributions to public welfare initiatives. Furthermore, Bawankule ascribed the success of UBT candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, not Thackeray's leadership, the PTI report added.
"How does he deserve to become a chief minister? He doesn't even deserve to be a minister. Has he ever helped anyone get a ration card or an Aadhaar card? Uddhav Thackeray's 18 candidates could win the Lok Sabha elections 2019 because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image and popularity," Bawankule claimed.
Bawankule accused Thackeray of losing political support as a result of his partnership with Sharad Pawar and the Congress, claiming that Aaditya's electoral triumph was solely due to favourable conditions.
