Shiv Sena Leaders Accuse BJP of Political Ploy to Sideline Maharashtra CM

Addressing a rally in Parbhani, Uddhav Thackeray said the Lok Sabha Speaker must follow the law regarding defections. He alleged that the BJP's central leadership is systematically clipping the wings of its own state leaders. Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the defections are part of a larger political ploy, which he dubbed "Operation Devendra." He alleged that it is aimed at sidelining Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, just as the party had done with other leaders in the past. He said, "People voted against the Modi wave here (Parbhani). Now, the MPs who won against that wave have switched sides. It is not just a rebellion, but a big political ploy." Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the BJP's central leadership bypasses potential prime ministerial candidates. He cited the examples of Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nitin Gadkari, and CM Fadnavis. He alleged that Fadnavis was "helpless" during a recent air flight, with his former Maharashtra chief minister Ram Vilasrao Deshmukh "crying foul" over the "irregularities" in the donations to his former temple.