Amit Shah confident of Mahayuti's victory, rules out any need of Shiv Sena-UBT

Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that the Mahayuti government comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will come back to power and completely ruled out any need for estranged partner Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray.

"There is no if and but. The Mahayuti government will be formed in the state after the Assembly elections," asserted the Union Minister at the press conference here after he released the BJP's Sankalp Partra-2024 (manifesto)."

"The voters gave the mandate to the BJP-led alliance in 2014 and 2019. However, some betrayed the mandate to gain power but it didn't not last long. The Mahayuti alliance is united and taking on the Maha Vikas Aghadi which has internal differences. The opposition wants power as they have nothing to do with ideology. However, the Mahayuti is committed to further speed up Maharashtra's growth," he said.

Cooperation Minister Shah also downplayed the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s attempt to corner the Mahayuti alliance over who would become its chief minister after the elections.

"At present, the Mahayuti alliance was contesting the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. After the elections are over, the three parties will sit together and decide about the Chief Minister. However, we will not give any opportunity to Sharad Pawar (for Maha Vikas Aghadi to have its Chief Minister).

He also targeted the NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, saying that their parties split because they gave preferences to the family members instead of other party leaders in the functioning of their respective parties.

"Sharad Pawar made his daughter Supriya Sule the party chief and not Ajit Pawar. Uddhav Thackeray promoted his son and not other leaders. Had they given opportunities to other party leaders, this situation may not have arisen," he said.

The senior BJP leader dared Uddhav Thackeray to make Congress MP Rahul Gandhi say good words about freedom fighter VD Savarkar and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

"Uddhavji who are you sitting with? People who opposed the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram temple... You are sitting with those who oppose Aurangabad to be named Sambhajinagar. They opposed the CAA and uniform civil code. Further, you are sitting with those who are opposed to the Waqf Amendment Bill," he said, adding that it is up to Uddhav Thackeray to decide where he wants to associate himself.

Slamming Sharad Pawar for setting a narrative which is far from reality, Union Minister Shah said, "The people of Maharashtra are with MahaYuti this time and will not fall into his (NCP-SP leader's) tactics.

He claimed that Sharad Pawar should answer people about less financial aid received from the Centre during the UPA government.

"Maharashtra received only Rs 2 lakh crore during the 10-year UPA rule against Rs 10 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024 during the BJP-led government," he added.

He said that Maharashtra regained the number one position in attracting foreign direct investments in the last two years especially it had slipped to fourth rank during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

"Maharashtra is leading the country in many fields. Maharashtra will become a $1 trillion economy and make a big contribution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plan of India becoming a $5 trillion economy," he remarked.

The Union Minister strongly defended the Mahayuti government's flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana saying that it symbolises the conscious and judicious use of budget for making allocations to those sections who deserve the financial aid for development and empowerment.