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In a strong attack on Uddhav Thackery in the run-up to the BMC polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is learnt to have said at a party meeting here that the BJP had never promised CM's post to Shiv Sena ahead of 2019 assembly polls in the state and former Maharashtra Chief Minister "betrayed the BJP for power".
Sources said Amit Shah, who held a meeting with BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporators about the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, said that BJP does not do its politics in closed rooms and practices it openly. The Shiv Sena has seen a huge split and Uddhav Thackeray had claimed in July this year that there was a promise of a rotational chief minister ahead of 2019 assembly polls. The BJP and Shiv Sena had contested the 2019 assembly polls together as allies but later differences erupted on the issue of the chief minister. Thackeray then broke ties with BJP and joined hands with Congress and NCP to form MVA government which he headed. It was ousted from power in June this year after a split in the party led by Eknath Shinde who is now the Maharashtra Chief Minister. Sources said Amit Shah said at the meeting that Uddhav Thackeray had not only "deceived the BJP" but also the "ideology" and had "insulted the mandate of people of the state". Sources said that the reason for Uddhav Thackeray's party seeing a split and getting reduced in size is "Uddhav Thackeray and his greed for power and not BJP". They said Amit Shah told the meeting that "there should be punishment for those who resort to deception in politics". Sources said Amit Shah told the meeting that he is stating it again that the BJP had not promised the Chief Minister's post to Uddav Thackeray. Sources said Shah told the meeting that BJP practices its politics openly and strongly and not in a closed room and took "khayali pulav" jibe at Uddhav Thackeray. This is Amit Shah's first visit to the state after the formation of the Eknath Shinde government. The meeting was held at the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Earlier in the day, Shah offered prayers at the famous Mumbai Lalbaugcha Raja along with Shinde and Fadnavis. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and the lockdown situation for two years, the Home Minister was not able to visit the famous Ganpathi pandal in Mumbai. Apart from Labaughcha Raja, Amit Shah visited a few more Ganpati Pandals in Mumbai, the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Bandra West organised by BJP Mumbai Chief Ashish Shelar. (ANI)
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