Pune: Thackeray invokes Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy, appeals for support in upcoming elections

Pune, 23rd February 2023: Aditya Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party, held a rally in Pune on Thursday to campaign for the Mahavikas Aghadi’s candidate, Ravindra Dhangekar, in the Kasba Assembly Constituency by-election.

The rally, which was attended by a number of prominent politicians, including MP Srinivas Patil, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, Sachin Ahir, Sunil Kedar, and City President of Shiv Sena Sanjay More, among others, was held at the Sakhlipir Talim in Nana Peth.

During the rally, Thackeray appealed to the crowd, urging them to give him a new partner in his battle to take Maharashtra forward. He also warned of attempts by ‘traitors’ to create controversies between castes and religions and spread rumours, and called on the people of Maharashtra to stand together and fight against these divisive forces.

Thackeray also criticized the Modi government at the Centre and the Fadnavis government in the state, calling them “boxes for themselves and threats to Maharashtra.” He accused the Modi government of engaging in dirty politics in Maharashtra and of stealing Shiv Sena’s name and symbol. He also accused 40 people of betraying Shiv Sena and warned that their names would be on the list of thieves.

Thackeray urged the people of Maharashtra to use the upcoming by-election to show their place in the world, and to pay attention to the election not just in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Mumbai, but across the entire country.

Uddhav Thackeray, who was not physically present at the rally, addressed the crowd through an audio-visual medium. He expressed his concern that Shiv Sena’s name and symbol had been stolen and that there had been a split in the party. He accused the Fadnavis government of promoting sick Girish Bapat and attacking Shiv Sena’s Adv. Sachin Bhosle. He called for an end to the brutal attitude in politics and urged the people of Maharashtra to bury the politics of those who engage in assumption-based politics.

Uddhav Thackeray also expressed his love for Pune, where his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, was born, and said that he took inspiration from the people of the city. He accused the Fadnavis government of not having the courage to call municipal elections in Mumbai and Pune for fear of losing, and warned of the flood risk in the next five years due to river development. He also criticized the government’s decision to turn the Salim Ali bird sanctuary in Yerwada into a “dumping ground.”

Thackeray concluded by saying that the upcoming election was a battle for the constitution and democracy, and urged the people of Maharashtra to stand together and fight against the forces that seek to divide them.