Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that those who promote communal discord are not true Hindus. Speaking at a public event to commemorate the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister emphasized that his party's vision of 'Hindutva' is pure and untarnished.
The UBT chief also stressed the importance of respecting Maharashtra's identity, urging that in the state, one must say both 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Shivrai'."[In Maharashtra] you will have to say Jai Shri Ram and Jai Shivrai. You will have to respect Maharashtra. If Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj wouldn't have been there, the entire country would have turned green," he claimed.
Thackeray also took aim at the BJP-led government, challenging them to hold elections using traditional ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), suggesting that the use of EVMs undermines the electoral process. "If you have any sense of shame, abandon the EVMs and conduct elections with ballot papers," he stated.
In the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the NDA secured a landslide victory with 233 seats, including 132 for the BJP, while the MVA only managed to win 49 seats.