Betrayal Redux? Prithviraj Chavan Draws Parallels Between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray
Pune, 2nd December 2024: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday criticized the BJP’s central leadership, drawing parallels between the alleged betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray in 2019 and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the current assembly elections. Without directly naming Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chavan accused the BJP of undermining its allies.
Speaking after meeting senior social activist Dr. Baba Adhav, who recently staged a protest, Chavan addressed reporters and raised concerns about the delay in forming the government despite the Mahayuti securing a clear majority.
“There are visible internal contradictions within the Mahayuti. This year’s assembly elections were fought under the leadership of Shiv Sena (Shinde) chief Eknath Shinde. It was expected that he wouldn’t face betrayal. However, it appears that he has been deceived in a manner similar to Uddhav Thackeray,” Chavan remarked.
The former CM expressed concerns over the state of democracy in India, alleging that elections have been compromised through financial corruption and abuse of power. “Money was distributed using police vehicles, and the Election Commission remained silent despite these blatant irregularities,” he claimed.
Chavan also addressed recent comments by BJP leader Ashok Chavan, who claimed the Congress had secured more than 100 seats under his leadership. Refuting this, Prithviraj Chavan pointed to the influence of the “Modi wave” during his tenure as a significant factor in the Congress party’s declining performance.
“When I was leading, the Congress indeed secured fewer seats due to the overwhelming popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even when elections were fought under Balasaheb Thorat’s leadership, we faced similar outcomes. Now, despite the lack of a strong opposition, our performance remains underwhelming,” he conceded.
