Cong MP slams BJP over Maharashtra crisis: ‘Using all resources, muscle power’ | Latest News India

Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trying to uproot the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. He said that from the day Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray took over as the chief minister of Maharashtra, the saffron camp has been using all of its “resources [and] muscle power” with the sole objective to dethrone him.

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“From the day Uddhav Thackeray took over as Maharashtra CM, BJP is using all its resources, muscle power,with a single objective to oust him from power… MVA govt is gradually earning the trust of the common people but it can’t be digested by BJP,” Chowdhury told news agency ANI.

The current stalemate in Maharashtra, which began after Sena leader and state minister Eknath Shinde along with more than a dozen MLAs went “out of reach” on Tuesday (June 21), has escalated to such an extent now that Thackeray’s continuity as the chief minister is sceptical.

Catch live updates of Maharashtra political crisis here

Shinde and his rebel camp has stood their ground with the demand that the Sena exits the MVA front it shares with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Calling themselves “true Shiv Sainiks” and vowing their loyalty to Hindutva ideology and Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray (Uddhav Thackeray’s father), the rebel MLAs are now 40-plus strong.

CM Thackeray and Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is leading the pushback of the party against Shinde’s camp have time and again asked the rebel leaders to come back to Mumbai. Earlier today, Raut issued a fresh warning to the camp soon after the Sena sought to disqualify four more rebel MLAs. On Thursday, the party sought the disqualification of 12 MLAs, including Shinde.

Also Read | ‘Shinde says he’s Shiv Sena? Ok. So Sena+Cong+NCP = majority’: Pawar quips

The chief minister addressed Sena workers today, and stressed that he has not given up the “will to fight” despite vacating his official residence ‘Varsha’.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said earlier this morning that the party did not play any role in the ongoing political turmoil in the western state.

Chowdhury is not the only leader of the ruling MVA constituent party who has lashed out at the BJP for trying to split up the alliance. On Thursday, NCP president Sharad Pawar said the the saffron unit has played a role in the crisis.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nata Patole and party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge are among other leaders who have blamed the BJP for the political tension in the western state.

Notably, the impasse began a day after the Maharashtra legislative council poll results were declared wherein the BJP won all five seats, amid allegations of cross-voting.