Uddhav Thackeray Criticizes Election Schemes, Demands Farm Loan Waivers

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has accused the Eknath Shinde government of using short-term schemes to lure women voters ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls. Speaking to party workers, Thackeray also demanded farm loan waivers and criticized the BJP for creating caste divisions in the state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticized the Eknath Shinde government on Sunday, accusing it of using the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana to attract women voters just before the Maharashtra assembly elections. He predicted that this initiative would be halted within two to three months.

In a speech to party workers, Thackeray reiterated his call for a farm loan waiver, citing the government's recent promise to cancel farmers' electricity bills. He further accused the BJP of fostering caste divisions in Maharashtra.

Thackeray urged the Centre to pass a law in Parliament to increase the 50 per cent reservation cap to accommodate Marathas and other communities without affecting the Other Backward Classes.

He labeled the various newly announced schemes as election ploys, asserting that they would lapse within a few months if the ruling alliance either loses or returns to power. He implied that these measures were designed to temporarily appease women voters before the next state elections.

The Maharashtra budget presented last week included multiple schemes targeting women and farmers. Initiatives like Mukhyamantri Annapoorna Yojana and Mukhyamantri Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana were revealed, promising benefits ranging from free gas cylinders to educational aid.

Thackeray argued that these schemes were not backed by concrete implementation plans and were merely attempts to distract from governmental shortcomings. Reflecting on the recent Lok Sabha election losses, Thackeray encouraged party members to investigate the reasons behind candidate Chandrakant Khaire's defeat.

He also criticized what he described as the theft of party symbols, attributing the Shiv Sena leader Sandipan Bhumre's victory in Aurangabad to this act. Uddhav Thackeray emphasized that the upcoming assembly elections would be a fight for Maharashtra's dignity and self-respect.

(With inputs from agencies.)