Uddhav guns for BJP as Ashok Chavan quits Congress

Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Maharashtra): Taking a swipe at the BJP-led NDA government in the state after former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan resigned from the party, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday questioned whether the ruling party was suffering from 'low self-confidence' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Expanding on his claim about the ruling NDA in the state

The former CM questioned why it felt the need to poach leaders from the Opposition camp unless it was nervous and feared defeat in the upcoming general elections.

Chavan's resignation and potential alignment with BJP

While Chavan resigned as an MLA and also announced his exit from the Congress, dealing a further blow to the INDIA bloc and the Opposition unity, he stopped short of opening up on his future political course. However, the Sena (UBT) Supremo claimed that the former CM could be linking his lot with the BJP.

Uddhav's criticism of BJP

Addressing a rally at Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) on Monday, Uddhav went all guns blazing at the BJP, saying it wouldn't have felt the need to split the Opposition combine--Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)--and lure leaders away to its fold if it had worked for the people during its decade-long rule at the Centre.

The 'Congress-occupied BJP'

"The BJP raised the slogan of a 'Congress Mukta Bharat' but that objective remained unfulfilled. In fact, they have appropriated so many leaders from Congress that they have become Congress-occupied BJP like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). With so many Congress leaders in the BJP now, the day isn't far when a former Congress leader will be leading the BJP nationally," Uddhav said.

(With ANI inputs)