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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has termed the upcoming assembly elections in the state as a battle for development and criticised the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government for allegedly stalling projects and veering away from the ideological roots laid by Shiv Sena's founder, Bal Thackeray.
"This election is focused on local issues and development. We are fighting this election on the platform of development, and today, the people are so confident that they say, 'This is our government; this is our Chief Minister'. There is a strong connection, and the people are determined to bring the Mahayuti government back to power in this state," Mr Shinde told News Agency.
The Chief Minister alleged that the ruling Mahayuti alliance - the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sena and NCP factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Ajit Pawar - has restored momentum to projects that the previous Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) government - an alliance which includes the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction, and the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Sharad Pawar - stalled.
"Over the past two and a half years, while the Mahavikas Aghadi government held power, they put a hold on numerous projects, slowed things down, and set up roadblocks. I won't list all the projects now, but there were many significant ones across Mumbai, including the Atal Setu, Coastal Road, and the Metro. Projects that extended beyond Mumbai, like the Nagpur-Mumbai expressway, initiatives for Maharashtra's farmers, the Marathwada Water Grid, and river-linking projects - all of these were hindered. When our government took office, we removed those roadblocks, work resumed, and development is now visible everywhere," Chief Minister Shinde claimed.
'Betrayed Bal Thackeray'
Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are set to take place on November 20, while the counting will take place three days later. The 2019 polls saw the BJP with 105 seats, Shiv Sena with 56, and Congress securing 44. The MVA alliance gained momentum in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 30 out of 48 seats, while the Mahayuti coalition claimed 17 seats.
Mr Shinde projects himself as a "common man's Chief Minister," insisting that he remains grounded and accessible, contrasting his style with that of the previous Maharashtra government. "Earlier, Varsha (Maharashtra Chief Minister's official residence) was restricted; everyone was not allowed to come in. Today, everyone is coming here," he said.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister accused Uddhav Thackeray of betraying Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology.
"As a worker, my mission is to advance this state. Uddhav ji abandoned the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray, he left those principles behind, betrayed the BJP, and betrayed the public trust. The mandate the people gave to the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was broken by Uddhav ji," Mr Shinde alleged.
The Maratha Reservation Issue
Mr Shinde also addressed the Maratha reservation issue, a topic that has sparked protests and hurt the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections this year. The Maharashtra assembly in February this year unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs. However, protesters are demanding the Maratha quota under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
"We gave to the Maratha community what should have been granted long ago. Previous governments used the Maratha community without delivering real benefits. When I became Chief Minister, and even during Devendra ji's term, we introduced a 10 per cent quota and upheld it in the High Court. But then the MVA government took over and failed to protect it. When we returned, we reinstated that 10 per cent," Mr Shinde told News Agency.
"On two other fronts, our government has worked to issue certificates and established the Justice Shinde Committee and the Backward Commission, which we reconstituted. We have gathered data proving social and educational backwardness per Supreme Court standards," he added.
Abuse Of Power Allegations
Defending his government against accusations of misusing agencies, Mr Shinde was quick to point fingers at the previous MVA administration, which he claimed had targeted political opponents.
"People were arrested for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, including women and journalists. Have we jailed anyone unfairly? After the Lok Sabha elections, we corrected course where needed. Over the past four months, the opposition has spread false narratives, claiming constitutional changes or that reservations will disappear. They've tried to intimidate Muslims, Christians, tribals, Dalits, and other minorities," Mr Shinde claimed.
His administration, he maintained, is working to uplift these communities by "bringing the Dalit and backward class to the mainstream."