Nagpur: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday advised Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya to engage in introspection over the escalating unrest within their party.
Bawankule Links Defections to Dissatisfaction
Bawankule attributed the recent political turmoil, which has seen Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs switching allegiance to the rival faction led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, to dissatisfaction among elected representatives regarding development and communication issues.
Need for Access to Power
Referring to the ongoing churn within Shiv Sena (UBT), Bawankule emphasized that legislators and MPs require access to power to ensure development in their constituencies. He stated, "There appears to be growing dissatisfaction because several representatives feel they are not receiving the expected response from the leadership." He urged Thackeray to seriously examine the reasons behind this discontent.
Political Defections and Voter Accountability
Without directly endorsing the term "Operation Tiger," used in political circles to describe shifting loyalties across parties, the guardian minister noted that political representatives ultimately remain accountable to voters. He remarked, "When even two booth-level workers leave the BJP, we conduct an introspection. Other parties should also analyze the reasons for internal dissatisfaction." Bawankule also dismissed allegations by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut that legislators are switching sides for money, asserting, "Public representatives in Maharashtra cannot be judged only through the prism of money."
BJP Denies Talks with Defectors
On speculation about fresh political inductions into the BJP, Bawankule denied that the party was in talks with any MLAs or MPs for defections. He stated, "The BJP has enough workers and strength of its own."
Defense of Ethanol Policy
Commenting on the Centre's ethanol policy, Bawankule defended the initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, alleging that "certain lobbies" were spreading misinformation to create confusion among the public.
