Mumbai, Nov 23 (IANS ) Dazed by the debacle in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that it seems like a tsunami swept aside the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), but felt that there is some ‘gadbad’ (amiss), here on Saturday.
In his first reaction after the last of the results were coming out, Thackeray admitted that it was indeed a bolt for the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance, yet expressed his gratitude for all the people who voted for the MVA candidates.
“It was not just a wave, but a tsunami… This was beyond all expectations… Some say it’s the victory of the EVMs… Maybe. But if it's also acceptable to the masses then we have nothing to add,” said Thackeray, addressing media persons.
He recalled how one Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had said once that only one party would survive in the country, “We are now moving in that direction, but whether it is acceptable to the people or not remains a question”.
“There are many doubts… Why the people have voted so heavily for MahaYuti? What was their sudden love for them? A large number of women, farmers and youth attended our rallies for their concerns compared with the emptiness in the MahaYuti’s public meetings,” said Thackeray.
On the impact of the ‘Ladi Bahin’ dole, the SS (UBT) supremo said that even more than that, women were worried about insecurity, high inflation, anger among the farmers and unemployment hitting the youth.
“What was the great work done by the MahaYuti in the past two-and-half years that it got such a landslide? Our demand is that the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme which was suspended by the Election Commission of India during elections must be immediately restarted as per the promise of Rs 2,100,” said Thackeray.
Earlier today, a shaken SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had also raised doubts on the outcome claiming that “we had gauged the mood of the masses” and hinted at money-power and other factors as responsible for the huge defeat.
The former Chief Minister pointed out how, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the people of the state had heeded him like the paterfamilias and helped him steer them out of the health crises that claimed lakhs of lives globally.
“The masses always listened to me like a family elder… So I cannot believe that they would desert us so badly now… There’s definitely some ‘gadbad’ that has taken place,” said Thackeray.
He rued that although the courts have not given their verdict on the issue of the names/symbols of the (undivided) Shiv Sena and (original) NCP (SP) for nearly two years, the elections were still held – “So, whom do we trust or turn to?”
Nevertheless, Thackeray vowed that he would always be with the people of Maharashtra and would continue to work and resolve their problems and grievances with full vigour.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)