‘Stop poaching’ create own party’, Raj Thackeray advises BJP

Raj Thackeray criticized the BJP for poaching MLAs from other parties and splitting them, mocking Ajit Pawar's claim of joining the BJP-led Sena govt. for development. He also highlighted the poor condition of roads, claiming 1,500 people had died on the Mumbai-Goa highway and 350 on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. He accused the govt. of taking the electorate for granted.

Taking aim at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its induction of the Ajit Pawar rebel NCP faction, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday said the BJP ought to learn to establish its own party in Maharashtra without poaching MLAs from other parties and splitting them.

Addressing MNS cadre at Panvel, Mr. Thackeray said, “The BJP must learn to raise its own party in Maharashtra without poaching MLAs from other parties and splitting them. They level a gun at people’s heads and later induct them into the party.”

Given his affinity to the BJP off late, Mr. Thackeray’s scathing attack on the state BJP unit was unexpected.

Mocking Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s claim that he was aligning himself with the BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Sena government to promote development, the MNS president said NCP leaders jumped ship once PM Modi spoke out about their involvement in scams.

“All of them [Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction] rushed to the BJP once PM Modi spoke about their role in scams of Rs. 70,000 crore . So, Ajit Pawar should not fool the people of Maharashtra by claiming he joined the BJP for development,” said Mr. Thackeray, who is the estranged cousin of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Raj Thackeray.

On the condition of roads, the MNS chief claimed more than 1,500 people had died between 2012 and 2022 on the Mumbai-Goa highway while 350 had already been killed in accidents along the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway.

“The government will not put fencing along the Expressway, but it can immediately begin toll collection. Today, if one has to go to Ratnagiri in the Konkan, then one needs to take a U-turn – from Mumbai to Pune – and thence to Ratnagiri. The government is taking the electorate for granted. It knows that whatever happens, the electorate will keep voting for them,” Mr. Thackeray said.