Shiv Sena (UBT) targets BJP’s Gujarat shift, unleashes ‘Maharashtra Swabhiman’ fury

Aaditya Thackeray during the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s protest march against BMC in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan

Shiv Sena (UBT) is planning to trap the BJP over ‘Maharashtra Swabhiman' in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. They will raise the issue of shifting various businesses and projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

Sachin Padwal, former corporator of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Kalachowki in Central Mumbai, told mid-day, "Soon we will start holding meetings in every society in the constituency. We will inform people about the work done by UBT MLA and MP. We will also inform people about how the BJP shifted businesses and various industrial projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat," Padwal said.

"Mumbai is known as the financial capital of the country. Attempts were made by the BJP to diminish the importance of Mumbai by shifting businesses to Gujarat. Additionally, an attempt was made to reduce employment opportunities for the youth of Maharashtra by shifting industrial projects intended for the state to Gujarat," Padwal added further.

Sachin Padwal, former corporator, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Pic/X

"Businesses and industries are not just a means of employment that the BJP shifted to Gujarat; this is the pride of Maharashtra," Padwal emphasised. "Mumbai is renowned for its diamond business, but recently, the Surat Diamond Bourse has started to take over Mumbai's business," Padwal noted.

"After the Mahayuti Government came to power, projects like Vedant Foxconn and the AirBus project, which were supposed to come to Maharashtra, shifted to Gujarat. In 2017, the Modi government decided to develop the International Financial Service Center in GIFT city of Gujarat. These are a few projects that have been shifted to Gujarat," Padwal added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has been continuously raising the issue of various projects that have been shifted to Gujarat. Now, Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to highlight this issue during the election as a matter of Maharashtra pride.

The BJP slammed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government over the lost project. Bhalchandra Shirsat, spokesperson of the BJP, criticized the lackadaisical attitude of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, stating that industrial projects are being shifted to other states.

"Shiv Sena is a regional party. Regional identity has been the base of Shiv Sena politics since the beginning. Parties always raise emotional issues. The issue of industries and businesses that have moved from Mumbai to Gujarat will not be the only deciding factor in the elections. However, this issue can resonate with the emotions of the voters, and it can benefit Shiv Sena (UBT)," said political observer Sanjay Patil.