20 July,2023 07:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray
Even as CM Eknath Shinde said at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on Tuesday that he was fortunate to table the resolution to together win the Lok Sabha polls next year, rival Uddhav Thackeray, after attending the Opposition alliance's meeting, said âINDIA' was destined to end the dictatorship in the country. Thackeray also visited Ajit Pawar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde basked in the attention at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on Tuesday, saying he was fortunate to table the resolution to together win the Lok Sabha polls next year. His political rival and former party chief Uddhav Thackeray stated on his return from the Opposition alliance's meeting, that the new front was destined to end the dictatorship in the country.
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Shinde said in a statement that he was fortunate to table the NDA's resolutions at Tuesday's meeting. "It has been resolved to win more than 330 Lok Sabha seats next year. I am confident that NDA's unity will achieve the target." He added that the BJP-Sena alliance was formed in 1989 by late leaders Balasaheb Thackeray and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Lal Krishna Advani. "The alliance was based on a firm ideology and anti-Congress position."
The Sena-BJP unity has completed 34 years and NDA was established 25 years ago. "The friendship has become even stronger under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and valuable guidance of JP Nadda and Amit Shah," he said, adding that the NDA parties will sweep the Lok Sabha polls to create a new Bharat.
Thackeray attended the legislative session on Wednesday. Speaking to media persons, he said the country now knew that the Opposition's pre-poll alliance, INDIA, was a team of the people who love the country and democracy. "It is not against any person or party because governments change, PMs and CMs change. But it is against something damaging to the nation, and that is dictatorship. So the people who love their country and its democracy have come together to fight dictatorship," he said.]
President of the breakaway Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar, the latest NDA member, mentioned his participation and courtesy meetings with PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
After trying unsuccessfully to convince Sharad Pawar to support him, Ajit had gone to the NDA meeting, while his uncle made a statement by attending the Opposition's event in Bangalore. The new 26-party front, christened INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), will hold its third meeting in Mumbai. Thackeray and Pawar's parties will be the hosts.
Both Shinde and Ajit Pawar featured prominently in the 38-party NDA group photograph. Standing in the front row with PM Modi and party president Nadda, Amit Shah was flanked by Shinde and Pawar. They shared the picture on social media and in the press releases.
Small parties from Maharashtra, the union minister of state Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India, Jan Surajya Shakti Party (Vinay Kore), Prahar Janshakti Party (Bacchu Kadu) and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (Mahadev Jankar) are part of NDA. Athawale, Kadu and Kore were present.
Uddhav Thackeray visited Ajit Pawar at the Dy CM's Vidhan Bhavan office on Wednesday. His MLA son Aaditya and other legislators accompanied him. He said it was a courtesy call to the person who was handed the keys to the state treasury yet again.
"I told him to work for the people. Real issues are not paid attention when the power game is on. Farmers are distressed. Some days ago, it was about short rainfall, now excessive rains could hit farmers. I asked Ajit dada to not neglect the distressed," he said. He added that he knew Ajit's temperament very well because they had worked together (in the MVA government). "Let others do whatever they want, but I am sure Ajit dada will work well because he has been given the keys to the state's treasury yet again," he said, chiding Shinde who had blamed Ajit for inequitable fund allocation in the MVA, which was used as one of the reasons to split the Shiv Sena. Shinde's MLAs were opposed to making Ajit the finance minister after his faction joined the government early this month. Shinde's associates had said that it was Thackeray, the then CM who had failed to check Ajit despite their requests, but henceforth Shinde would ensure proper treatment to his MLAs.
