Mumbai, Jan 9 (NationPress) As election fervor intensifies in the 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) has launched a vehement critique against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of forsaking their foundational principles in exchange for power.

The party characterized the BJP's recent political strategies in Maharashtra as a “shameful display of hypocrisy” following the emergence of local alliances with AIMIM and the Congress party.

In the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', the Thackeray faction stated, “The BJP’s current mindset is to do whatever it takes to maintain power and evade the opposition, as they lack a genuine ideology; their Hindutva is merely a guise for selfish political objectives. Without power, the BJP will face survival challenges. This is why they are inclined to ally with Owaisi’s party. In pursuit of power, the BJP has gone from giving the “Adhan” (call to prayer) to performing the “Nikah” (marriage) and even the “circumcision”, but the “Qazi” (judge/cleric) recited the prayers so loudly that the BJP’s clandestine affair became known worldwide.”

The editorial accused the BJP of often deploying Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM as a “hidden ally” in elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra to fracture opposition votes. “Whenever Owaisi arrives in Maharashtra to deliver the 'call to prayer' (Azaan), it signals that the BJP has commenced its election preparations,” the editorial remarked, likening the relationship to a “romance behind the trees” that has now been revealed.

The Thackeray faction highlighted recent events in municipal councils. In the Akot Municipal Council, the BJP is accused of forming an “open marriage” with AIMIM. In the Ambernath Municipal Council, the BJP collaborated with the Congress to undermine the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. After public backlash, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attempted to mitigate the damage by calling for a “triple talaq” on these alliances and promised action against those involved. However, the damage to the BJP's reputation is irreversible,” it claimed. The state of the BJP in Maharashtra has deteriorated to the point that “reputation lost in a drop cannot be regained by a tankful,” it asserted.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena further claimed that the dealings, including negotiations, bargaining, and clandestine meetings, for alliances were initially conducted in secrecy until they were exposed.

According to the editorial, while PM Modi promoted the slogan “Congress-mukt Bharat” (Congress-free India), the BJP has now transformed into a “Congress-yukt BJP”.

“The BJP has absorbed corrupt Congress leaders into its ranks. Their new strategy appears to be to kidnap others' children, as they cannot cultivate capable leaders of their own. Nearly 80 percent of the BJP’s MLAs, MPs, and corporators have migrated from the Congress, NCP, or Shiv Sena. These defectors now exhibit a nauseating show of loyalty to Hindutva,” it contended.

The Thackeray camp argued that by enlisting corrupt leaders and criminals to secure electoral wins, the BJP's only governing principle has become “winning at any cost.”