Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership was attempting to politically weaken Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, claiming that the latter was being cut down to size to prevent him from emerging as a contender to succeed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the future.
Addressing party workers in Shirdi, Thackeray claimed that after Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Fadnavis had become the latest leader with roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to face resistance from the BJP leadership in Delhi.
"After Nitin Gadkari, the BJP leadership in Delhi is now trying to cut Devendra Fadnavis to size. They want to remove him from the race of becoming prime minister after Narendra Modi," Thackeray alleged.
'Both Gadkari and Fadnavis have RSS backing'
The former Maharashtra chief minister said both Gadkari and Fadnavis enjoyed the support of the RSS and suggested that this had worked against them within sections of the BJP leadership.
{{/usCountry}}The former Maharashtra chief minister said both Gadkari and Fadnavis enjoyed the support of the RSS and suggested that this had worked against them within sections of the BJP leadership.
{{/usCountry}}"Both Gadkari and Fadnavis have the support of the RSS and both have faced the same treatment," Thackeray said.
He further questioned the role of the RSS and whether it was willing to speak up if leaders perceived to be close to it were allegedly being sidelined.
"Is it acceptable to the RSS that its men are being cornered by the BJP leadership? Has the RSS become a slave of those BJP leaders and can't say anything in front of them?" he asked.
Fresh attack amid political churn in Maharashtra
Thackeray's remarks come amid renewed political sparring in Maharashtra and speculation over equations within both the BJP and the wider Mahayuti alliance.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief has in recent weeks accused the BJP of trying to weaken his party through defections and political manoeuvring. He has repeatedly referred to an alleged "Operation Tiger", under which, he claims, efforts are being made to engineer exits from his faction and strengthen rival camps.
The allegations intensified after several Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and former MPs switched allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, reviving memories of the split that dramatically altered Maharashtra politics in 2022.
The 2022 Shiv Sena rebellion
The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after senior leader Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership, taking with him a majority of the party's MLAs.
The revolt eventually led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, with Thackeray stepping down as chief minister before a floor test.
Shinde subsequently formed a government with the BJP and became chief minister, while Devendra Fadnavis took over as deputy chief minister.
The split later received legal and electoral backing after the Election Commission recognised the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena and allotted it the party's iconic bow-and-arrow symbol. Thackeray's faction was renamed Shiv Sena (UBT) and assigned a new symbol.
Fadnavis 'wing clipping' remark resurfaces
Thackeray has previously alleged that attempts were being made within the BJP to politically weaken Fadnavis and reduce his influence in Maharashtra politics.
Earlier this month, he claimed that efforts were underway to "clip the wings" of the chief minister.
Fadnavis had dismissed the allegation, saying he had no wings for anyone to cut and that he remained focused on governance and public service.