Uddhav Thackeray attacks Mahayuti on drought, ₹60,000 crore backlog and Munde's death
Synopsis
On Marathwada Liberation Day, Uddhav Thackeray turned Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar into a political flashpoint — weaponising drought, a ₹60,000 crore development deficit, a ₹5,000 crore welfare scam allegation, and long-dormant questions about Gopinath Munde's death into a single sweeping indictment of the Mahayuti government, and pledging a statewide ground inspection from October 5.
Key Takeaways
Uddhav Thackeray addressed a major protest in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on 17 September 2026 , Marathwada Liberation Day .
He accused the Mahayuti government of a ₹60,000 crore development backlog and mocked the decision to delay crop assessments until 5 October .
Thackeray demanded a drought declaration, immediate farmer relief, and a CBI probe into farmer suicides ahead of official survey dates.
He alleged a ₹5,000 crore scam in the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme and charged the government with inflaming Maratha-OBC tensions for political gain.
He raised unsolved questions around the death of Gopinath Munde and contrasted Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil 's hunger strike with CM Fadnavis 's foreign travel.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Aaditya Thackeray , will begin a statewide crop-damage inspection tour from 5 October .
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched a blistering offensive against the ruling Mahayuti coalition at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on 17 September 2026, coinciding with Marathwada Liberation Day, accusing the Maharashtra government of chronic neglect, governance paralysis, and deliberate social fragmentation in a drought-stricken region. The protest, held under the campaign slogan 'Marathwadyacha Vikas Tumse Na Ho Payega' (You won't be able to develop Marathwada), targeted an alleged ₹60,000 crore backlog in regional development.
Drought Relief Demands and the October 5 Jibe
At the heart of Thackeray's attack was the Maharashtra government's decision to delay crop-loss assessments — known as panchnamas — until October 5. He ridiculed senior officials, saying they were behaving more like astrologers than administrators. 'We rely on the panchang to do everything, so October 5 has been set as the auspicious date,' Thackeray said, adding pointedly: 'Farmers take their own lives out of sheer suffering and distress, not by looking at an auspicious timing in a panchang.'
He drew a sharp contrast with neighbouring Karnataka, where the Congress-led state government declared a drought on 27 August and immediately disbursed direct relief, arguing that Maharashtra's satellite-based survey approach was both dilatory and inadequate. Thackeray demanded an urgent drought declaration and immediate financial support for affected farmers, and further called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into farmer suicides occurring before official survey dates — directly holding the administration accountable for those deaths.
Alleged ₹5,000 Crore Scheme Scam and Linguistic Row
Thackeray levelled serious corruption allegations against the Mahayuti government's flagship welfare programme, claiming a ₹5,000 crore scam within the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme. The government has not publicly responded to these allegations.
Turning to a recent national-level controversy, he challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent characterisation of Maharashtra as a 'multilingual state,' questioning whether Shah would make identical remarks in states like Gujarat, Karnataka, or across South India. The remarks were framed as a defence of Maharashtra's distinct linguistic and cultural identity.
Caste Divide Charge and the Manoj Jarange Contrast
Thackeray accused the ruling administration of engineering social divisions — specifically pitting Maratha communities against OBC groups — for short-term electoral advantage. He called for solidarity among Maratha, OBC, and Adivasi communities as a counter to what he described as deliberate fragmentation.
He highlighted the condition of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been on a hunger strike over reservation demands, contrasting Patil's desperation with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's reported travel abroad to receive an award — a juxtaposition Thackeray presented as emblematic of misplaced government priorities.
Gopinath Munde's Death and the Warning to Fadnavis
In an emotionally charged segment, Thackeray raised what he described as unresolved questions surrounding the 2014 fatal road accident of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde, stating that the mystery behind his death had never been adequately investigated. He noted that Munde died before he could occupy his seat as a Union Cabinet Minister in the Lok Sabha. Thackeray also mourned the untimely deaths of both Munde and Pramod Mahajan, calling them the two architects of the party's Maharashtra foundation who, he said, had the potential to give the country a Prime Minister from Marathwada.
Thackeray concluded with a stern warning directed at Chief Minister Fadnavis, praising youth activist Abhijit Dipke for confronting the establishment, and asserting that rising youth power would eventually dismantle the current government. He also announced that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership — including himself and his son Aaditya Thackeray — would begin a statewide tour from 5 October to directly inspect crop damage assessments at the ground level.
The protest marks an escalation in opposition pressure ahead of what is expected to be a politically charged agrarian season in Maharashtra.
Point of View
Identity politics, and governance failure into a single narrative against Mahayuti. The Karnataka comparison on drought relief is politically sharp: it positions Congress-ruled states as more farmer-responsive, complicating the BJP's Maharashtra storyline. The revival of Gopinath Munde's death — a decade-old wound in Maharashtra's political memory — signals that Thackeray is willing to go well beyond policy critique to destabilise the government's coalition base. The deeper challenge for Mahayuti is not this rally but the slow drip of farmer suicides, unresolved Maratha quotas, and a ₹60,000 crore development deficit that the opposition can keep citing through every subsequent news cycle.
NationPress
17 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Uddhav Thackeray demand on Marathwada Liberation Day 2026?
Thackeray demanded an immediate drought declaration for Maharashtra, direct financial relief for distressed farmers, and a CBI probe into farmer suicides occurring before official survey dates. He also called for transparency around the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme, alleging a ₹5,000 crore scam.
What is the 'Marathwadyacha Vikas Tumse Na Ho Payega' campaign?
It is a Shiv Sena (UBT)-led protest campaign whose name translates to 'You won't be able to develop Marathwada,' targeting what the party describes as a ₹60,000 crore backlog in development spending by the Mahayuti government in the Marathwada region.
Why did Thackeray raise Gopinath Munde's death at the rally?
Thackeray stated that the circumstances behind senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde's fatal road accident remain unresolved, suggesting the mystery has never been properly investigated. He used the reference to contrast the BJP's treatment of its own Maharashtra stalwarts, also mourning the premature death of Pramod Mahajan.
What did Thackeray say about Maharashtra's drought compared to Karnataka?
Thackeray pointed out that Karnataka's Congress government declared a drought on 27 August and immediately rolled out direct relief, while Maharashtra delayed crop-loss assessments until 5 October. He rejected the state's satellite-based survey approach as inadequate and called for an immediate on-ground response.
What is the Shiv Sena (UBT) planning next after the Marathwada protest?
Uddhav Thackeray announced that Shiv Sena (UBT) senior leaders, including himself and Aaditya Thackeray, will begin a statewide tour starting 5 October to directly inspect crop damage assessment reports (panchnamas) at the ground level across Maharashtra.
