Maharashtra in peril, time for people to eject MahaYuti from power: MVA

Mumbai: Launching a stinging attack on the ruling MahaYuti government, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders on Sunday claimed that Maharashtra is in peril and "it is time for the people to unseat the state government from power" in the upcoming Assembly elections.

MVA allies, Congress' state President Nana Patole, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, Leaders of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar (Assembly) and Ambadas Danve (Council), unitedly targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government a day after the brazen roadside shootout in which ruling MahaYuti ally Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Ziauddin Siddique was killed here in Bandra.

"The law-and-order in the state has completely collapsed. Maharashtra is facing trouble. It's time for the people of the state to take away power from the MahaYuti government," Sharad Pawar said.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he had detailed the current political situation confronting the state even at his Dussehra Day rally on Saturday evening "but how much should we talk and talk".

"Mumbai is the only city in Maharashtra which has two Commissioners of Police, yet such crimes are committed. What about people's security? Women are not safe in the state, the rulers are insecure, leaders of the ruling party are getting shot in public view. I don't mind if you appoint five police commissioners for Mumbai," said Thackeray, taking a jibe at the MahaYuti regime.

Patole alleged that Maharashtra, a land of saints and icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is now taken witnessing a 'goonda-raj' with shootouts resembling gangland killings now rampant under the present regime of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-NCP, including the killing of SS (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar in February during a Facebook Live interaction, and other instances, with no evidence of law-and-order.

"The state is witnessing rapes, shootings, killings daily, women, senior citizens are insecure and now even political leaders accorded government security are not feeling safe. If the leaders of the ruling alliance are not safe then what is the guarantee for the safety of the ordinary people. The state has never fallen so low before," Patole said, slamming the MahaYuti government.

Replying to questions, the leaders said that the elections will be a direct between the MVA and MahaYuti to save the state and its people from the various acts of omission and commission by the ruling alliance.

To a question, the three leaders asserted "there is no difference among the MVA over the post of CM", while Thackeray hit back by asking the MahaYuti to announce its chief ministerial face before the elections.

The MVA leaders also unveiled a 'Panchanama of Traitors', listing in-depth the faults and lapses of the MahaYuti government, the alleged corruption, the manner in which the masses are suffering or being looted in different ways, including discriminatory GST rates for the rich and poor or the rising rates of fuels.

The 'Panchnama of Traitors', reading like a campaign curtain-raiser to the impending Assembly elections, has listed burning issues like inflation, unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, crisis in health and education, the flight of industries from Maharashtra to Gujarat, the misery among the farmers with unending suicides, among other issues.

The MVA's document lists a purported 'Rate Card' of MahaYuti government, alleging Rs 50 crore to buy an MLA, Rs 1 crore to buy a municipal corporator or transfer a senior bureaucrat, Rs 25 lakh to shift a district civil surgeon, Rs 15 lakh to 'leak' government examination papers for the lower bureaucracy, Rs 10 lakh for the job of a Junior Engineer and Rs 7 lakh for a Group D government job.