Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has alleged that the wave of defections roiling Maharashtra politics is a calculated effort to keep Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis out of contention for the prime minister's post.
The strategy he claimed would ultimately work in favour of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times, Thackeray echoed a claim first made by his father and UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying, "Some elements in the BJP want Fadnavis in the Union cabinet to clip his wings."
He argued this would work to Shinde's advantage, telling HT, "They want to make sure he is not the party's prime ministerial face in the 2029 polls. This benefits Shinde because his single-point agenda is to become chief minister again."
The remarks follow a similar assertion by Uddhav Thackeray last week, who described the situation as "Operation Devendra," suggesting it was designed to keep the chief minister "at a certain level."
Fadnavis had dismissed the allegation, telling reporters, "I am a human being. I don't have wings, so who can clip them? I have the blessings of Maharashtra's 14 crore people and my senior leaders, so there is no need to worry."
Drawing parallels with recent political upheavals elsewhere, Thackeray reportedly pointed to defections within the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha and the ongoing turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, accusing the BJP of seeking to "crush the voice of Maharashtra."
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Responding to defectors' claims that UBT Sena leadership had been inactive, Thackeray hit back, telling HT, "What about Arvind Kejriwal, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee? Don't they meet their MPs? Still, there parties were split... The truth is, that they put a price tag on themselves and sold out."
His comments come days after six UBT Sena MPs crossed over to the Shinde-led faction, strengthening the ruling alliance's numbers in Parliament.
Thackeray also addressed the exit of former MLA Sachin Ahir, once considered close to him, who switched to the Shinde Sena this week and was elected deputy chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Calling it "another business deal."
Thackeray told the outlet that lawmakers had been "bought out by Mindhe (Eknath Shinde)" to help push through a delimitation bill that he said threatened Maharashtra's interests and sought to alter B.R. Ambedkar's Constitution.
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