Maharashtra Elections: Uddhav Back With '50 Khoka', 'Gaddar' Jibes As He Asks Allies To Decide CM Face

Maharashtra Elections 2024: Uddhav Thackeray has rekindled the bribery and betrayal allegations against Eknath Shinde. He also said he would support the Congress and NCP candidates for the CM's post.

Maharashtra Elections 2024: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray Thackeray on Friday reignited the 2022 horsetrading debate when he hurled the "50 khoka [fifty crore]" and "gaddar [traitor]" jibes at the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. He also said that he would support the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidates for the CM's face for the "sake of Maharashtra". 

"Let's decide the CM face of Maha Vikas Aghadi... I will support it. Let the Congress, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) suggest their CM faces. I shall support it because we have to work for the betterment of Maharashtra and I want to reply to these '50 khokas' & 'gaddars' that people want us, not them."

The "50 khoka" and "gaddar" jibes came up from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena after Eknath Shinde split the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray and led one group of MLAs and MPs to ally with the BJP in 2022. The Uddhav Thackeray faction said the Eknath Shinde camp leaders had betrayed them for Rs 50 crore. Eknath Shinde eventually became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra with the BJP's backing."

At an MVA workers' meeting on Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray says, "After our experience with the BJP, we feel that we should not follow the policy of offering CM's post to the party with the most MLAs in the alliance." Thackeray said that in the past, election alliances with the BJP resulted in clashes as the BJP tried to put the Shiv Sena down. "So, I will not be in favour of the 'more MLAs for CM's post' policy."

'Won't Let Anyone Touch Waqf Board, Religious Property'

Uddhav Thackeray further cited Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, and said that he would not let anyone touch any religious property. Uddhav said, "I am announcing that be it Waqf Board or any temple or other religious property, I will not let anyone touch those properties at any cost. This is my promise. This is not a question of just the Board. It’s a matter of our temples also, as Shankaracharya says that 200 kg of gold was stolen from Kedarnath. That should also be investigated."

Last month, Swami Avimukteshwaranand alleged that a gold scam was afoot in Kedarnath. "No inquiry has been initiated into the missing 228 kg of gold from Kedarnath," he said.