Mumbai, Jan 9: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Mahayuti government, alleging that “a death warrant is being issued for Mumbai and Marathi pride” amid growing corruption and stalled development projects.
In a joint interview to Saamna, the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece, the two leaders claimed that Mumbai, Thane and the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) were witnessing deterioration, with key projects stuck and governance weakening.
Calling the current political moment “now or never”, Raj Thackeray stressed the need for unity among Marathi parties. “If we don’t unite today and back each other, Maharashtra will not forgive us,” he said, adding that the state was at a critical turning point.
Uddhav Thackeray raised serious concerns over candidates being elected unopposed in local bodies, terming it a threat to democracy. He alleged that candidates were being forced to withdraw and compared the situation to political “airlifting” of leaders during past crises.
“Just as tenders are reissued when there is a mistake, elections too should be conducted again where candidates are elected unopposed,” he said, questioning whether there was “not a single opposition candidate” in such cases.
Both leaders called for restrictions and reforms to curb unopposed elections, underlining the importance of municipal corporations in safeguarding democratic processes.
Raj Thackeray urged citizens to express their anger through voting, particularly in major civic bodies such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Mira-Bhayander and Kalyan-Dombivli.
Criticising the BJP’s dominance, Raj Thackeray remarked that while the country has a Prime Minister, “the BJP has a PM”, and similarly, “Maharashtra does not have a CM, the BJP has a CM”, accusing the ruling party of prioritising power over public interest.
Raj also expressed anguish over the prevailing political climate, saying he sometimes wondered whether “there are gods and goddesses” and why they were silent spectators to what was happening in the state.
