Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, Ambadas Danve, has rejected reports suggesting that Milind Narvekar, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, might switch to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Some media outlets claimed that Shinde had offered Narvekar the candidacy for the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, where the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated sitting MP Arvind Sawant.Danve, who belongs to the Sena (UBT), stated, "This news is entirely false. I have spoken to Milind Narvekar regarding Uddhavji's tour of Vidarbha and Marathwada, and he has been accompanying Uddhavji throughout." He further added, "Opponents have spread this false information."Polling in all six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai is scheduled for May 20.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the opposition INDI alliance would secure more than 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at a rally in Buldhana for Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Narendra Khedekar, Thackeray stated that the ruling party (BJP) would be taught a lesson by the people for referring to his party as "nakli" Shiv Sena.Khedekar is contesting against Pratap Jadhav, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
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Thackeray criticized the BJP-led Central government over the GST regime and agricultural policies. He highlighted that farmers are subjected to an 18% GST on fertilizers, translating into a payment of Rs 18,000 GST for fertilizers worth Rs 1 lakh, whereas under the Namo Sanman Yojana, farmers receive Rs 6,000 in financial assistance. Thackeray remarked, "The BJP claims to have finished me politically but still targets me every day. You call my party 'nakli' (duplicate) Shiv Sena, but this same Sena will demonstrate its real strength. Is my Shiv Sena like your degree that you call 'nakli'? The people will show you your place. "It's worth noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously referred to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party as a "nakli" Shiv Sena. Thackeray alleged that the Election Commission "snatched" the name (Shiv Sena) and symbol (bow and arrow) from him and handed it to "traitors," an apparent reference to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.