Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Sunday (October 13) took on the ruling Mahayuti and released a document it called 'gaddarancha panchnama' (evidential record of traitors). The word 'gaddar' was apparently targetted at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who engineered split in previously united Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). During the press conference in Mumbai, those present were addressed by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar. The Congress was represented by party's state chief Nana Patole.
The MVA leaders accused the ruling Mahayuti of not only betraying their previous political parties but also the state of Maharashtra since they were facilitating shifting of mega projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat.
"It is not just me and Sharad Pawar who have been betrayed by traitors (a reference to the splits in the Shiv Sena and NCP) but Maharashtra itself has faced betrayal. This is the biggest sin of the Mahayuti (ruling alliance of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP)," said former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The top leaders of the opposition alliance said that 'gaddarancha panchnama' contained "rate card for purchase of MLAs and corporators, transfer of government officials, recruitment in government jobs" in addition to scams in Dharavi redevelopment project and irregularities in road concretisation tenders.
MVA also deemed rise in prices of essential items as historic.
"Bhrashtyuti (corrupt alliance) has driven industries out of Maharashtra and into Gujarat. We have to teach the ruling alliance a lesson for snatching jobs meant for our youths. Frequent paper leaks and contractual recruitment has destroyed the lives of the state's youth," said state Congress chief Nana Patole.
He alleged that Shinde government was smeared by corruption and this was evident even in the construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg District which collapsed recently.
Thackeray said that once MVA comes to power, it will focus on providing jobs.
State elections in Maharashtra are likely to take place next month since tenure of current assembly ends on November 26.
