BJP won in Gujarat because it took projects from Maharashtra: Uddhav

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that the BJP won in Gujarat because it took developments projects meant for Maharashtra to Gujarat.

In its editorial on Friday, Sena mouthpiece Saamana reiterated that the Gujarat result has not been surprising despite Gujarat’s situation during the pandemic or the recent Morbi accident. Snatching projects from states like Maharashtra paid off, it said.

Also read: Projects going out of Maharashtra despite conducive environment: Ajit Pawar

Shifting projects

“Many global meets have been held in Gujarat and world leaders visit Sabarmati, Ahmedabad because of PM Modi. Many big-ticket projects have been snatched from states like Maharashtra to offer to Gujarat. All these paid off in the election. Sardar Patel statue is there in Gujarat but PM Modi is Gujarat Asmita (identity of Gujarat),” the editorial said.

Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday issued a statement and said the projects that went from Maharashtra to Gujarat helped the BJP. “They (BJP) only won in Gujarat because Maharashtra projects shifted there and these projects helped in their victory. Maharashtra Deputy CM and CM sold these projects to Gujarat for elections and now they are selling our villages to Karnataka for elections,” Uddhav said.

Thackeray made the remarks during a press conference held following a meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders here. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. “Just the way projects in Maharashtra were taken away to poll-bound Gujarat, villages from Maharashtra may also be given to Karnataka where elections are due,” he said.

“Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai staking claim over the areas of Maharashtra has to be taken seriously. The BJP has a ploy to destabilise Maharashtra, Thackeray claimed.

Also read: Shinde does not dare speak against Karnataka CM: Uddhav on border row

Pawar agrees

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar too echoed this. He said BJP’s Gujarat result was expected but that did not reflect the mood of the country, Hindustan Times reported.

Many decisions were taken for the convenience of Gujarat and projects were shifted to the state, he said. “BJP’s victory is only the outcome of this,” Pawar said.

Ahead of the election, three projects allegedly went from Maharashtra to Gujarat, including Vedanta-Foxconn project, bulk drug park and Tata-Airbus aircraft project.