I Balasaheb Thackeray’s son and I wouI Balasaheb Thackeray’s son and I would like to accept the challenge: Uddhav Thackeray dares BJP to pull down Maharashtra government ld like to accept the challeng

NEW DELHI: Targetting the Opposition amid speculation of “Operation Lotus” in the state in April this year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday challenged BJP to pull down the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government if they can.nnThe MVA is a coalition of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress that formed government in November last year.nn”We (NCP-Sena-Congress) have come together with an aim to bring development for the common man. Since we have assumed office, the BJP has been constantly criticising us. The BJP leaders have been claiming that our coalition will not last long and that they would return to power. But the fact is that we stand united with a strong government,” said Thackeray at a farmers’ rally in Muktai Nagar, Jalgaon, in the presence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.nn

मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या हस्ते आज जैन इरिगेशन लिमिटेडतर्फे देण्यात येणारा पद्मश्री डॉ. अप्पासाहेब पवार आधुनिक कृषी उच्च-तंत्र पुरस्कार वितरण सोहळा जैन हिल्स येथे पार पडला. जालना जिल्ह्यातील शेतकरी दत्तात्रय भानुदासराव चव्हाण यांना हा पुरस्कार प्रदान करण्यात आला. pic.twitter.com/1MiCUAeKzD

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) February 15, 2020

nn”If you (BJP) are thinking about toppling our MVA government then I challenge you to pull it down today. I Balasaheb Thackeray’s son and I would like to accept the challenge,” he said.nnThackeray’s response comes amid his ongoing spat with BJP in the backdrop of resentment within the MVA over the Chief Minister’s decision to not oppose the Centre’s move to hand over the Elgar Parishad probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Even Pawar and Congress’s Maharashtra in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge have criticised Thackeray over the decision to allow probe by NIA in the matter.nn

मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या हस्ते आज जैन इरिगेशन सिस्टिम्स, जैन हिल्स येथील कृषी जैव तंत्रज्ञान संशोधन व विकास केंद्राचे उद्घाटन करण्यात आले. यावेळी मुख्यमंत्र्यांनी खासदार शरद पवार आणि उपस्थितांसमवेत विकास केंद्रातील प्रयोगशाळांची पाहणी केली. pic.twitter.com/YI25kkEAZQ

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) February 15, 2020

nnGrabbing the opportunity, BJP has hit out at the ruling coalition and said that there will be “mid-term” polls in the state.nnWithout naming senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who said that the “ruling alliance in Maharashtra is set to break”, Thackeray said: “Muktainagar, the hometown of Khadse, has become mukt (free) today. Everyone here knows who the town has become free from.”nn

मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या हस्ते आणि खासदार @PawarSpeaks यांच्या उपस्थितीत आज मुक्ताईनगर येथे आयोजित शेतकरी मेळाव्याचे उद्घाटन करण्यात आले. शेतकरी केंद्रबिंदू माणून राज्य शासन काम करीत आहे असे मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांनी यावेळी सांगितले. pic.twitter.com/3AncdP0l2L

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) February 15, 2020

nnMuktainagar has been considered a stronghold of Khadse. However, BJP had denied him a ticket in the last Assembly polls in the state and instead fielded his daughter Rohini from Muktainagar, who suffered a humiliating defeat against an independent candidate Chandrakant Nimba Patil.nnMaharashtra Chief Minister further assured farmers of better schemes and said: “The Shiv Sena had promised to clear the farmers’ debts before coming to power. We will launch two more schemes for farmers and separate schemes for those farmers who regularly return their loans. In the next few days, the government will soon take concrete decisions about how to provide electricity and water for farmers in the daytime and how to make them completely debt-free.”nnOn the occasion, the Sena chief described Sharad Pawar as a “competent guide”. “The blessings of the people and a competent guide is with me, so all good things will be done,” he said.nnMeanwhile, Pawar said, “There is a need to put in efforts to improve the living conditions of farmers in the state. Also, the Centre should extend its support to the state to implement special schemes for farmers.nnSource: Press Trust of India