Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray targeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for campaigning in Telangana for the BJP while the state grapples with the aftermath of unseasonal rain and hailstorms causing distress to farmers. Thackeray, who heads a rival faction of Shiv Sena and governs Maharashtra in alliance with the BJP and a faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), questioned Shinde's priorities and commitment to the welfare of the state.
During a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday, Thackeray expressed his dismay, stating, "The farmers of my state are in trouble due to the natural calamity of unseasonal rain and hailstorms. If a person is careless about the situation in the state and goes to another state to campaign for the election of another party, such a person is useless to run the government. Such a person has no right to be in the government."
Taking a dig at Shinde's claim of being the son of a poor farmer, Thackeray criticized the Chief Minister for campaigning in Telangana while Maharashtra's farmers faced a crisis. Thackeray highlighted the destruction of crops on approximately one lakh hectares of farmland due to the adverse weather conditions.
He (Shinde) calls himself the son of a poor farmer, but when the state’s farmers are suffering due to the unprecedented crisis, he is going to Telangana to campaign for another party. Doesn’t he have shame? “Thackeray, who preceded Shinde as the Maharashtra chief minister, asked.
Calling for immediate action, Thackeray urged Shiv Sena (UBT) members to visit affected farmers and assist them in navigating the insurance claims process through government offices in every district. He demanded an urgent cabinet meeting to address the challenges faced by farmers and questioned the state government's response to the crisis.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Thackeray criticized their priorities, citing the leaders' engagement with non-urgent matters like attending the cricket World Cup final match while allegedly neglecting critical situations in states like Manipur and Maharashtra.
“PM Modi and Amit Shah have time to go and watch the cricket World Cup final match. But Modi had no time to visit Manipur when it was burning. Today, he is going to poll-bound states to campaign for his party and making huge promises and announcements there. But doesn’t he have time to visit Maharashtra during a crisis? When will the BJP announce something for the state that was already facing drought and now, in addition to it, coping with unseasonal rain and hailstorms?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was actively involved in campaigning for the BJP in Adilabad, Telangana, on the last day of campaigning ahead of the Assembly poll scheduled for Thursday, November 30. The poll results for Telangana, along with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan, are set to be announced on December 3.