Raj Thackeray misleading Marathi people ignoring civic issues of Thane Mumbai Shiv Sena

Thane, Jan 12 (PTI) The Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday accused Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray of misleading the Marathi people and ignoring pressing civic issues of Thane and Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters here, Shiv Sena spokesperson Prakash Mahajan asserted established leaders like Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and his deputy Ajit Pawar are effectively addressing the needs of the Marathi people, rendering Thackeray's claims to be their sole protector irrelevant.
He criticized the MNS leader over his speech at an election rally in Thane on Sunday for focusing on the progress of a leading industrialist rather than presenting a viable plan for the Marathi workforce.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are jointly contesting the January 15 polls to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), where their main rival is the Mahayuti alliance consisting of the Shiv Sena and BJP, both partners in the state government.
The verbal sparring between the rivals came as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena intensified its "Vision Thane" campaign, headlined by ambitious promises to transform the city through global-standard infrastructure and the eradication of slums.
Mahajan dismissed Thackeray's latest address as a mere display of oratory designed to save "declining political credit".
He questioned the MNS chief's consistency, pointing out the close personal ties between the Thackeray family and industrialists, and mocked Raj Thackeray's past ventures, such as bringing pop superstar Michael Jackson to Mumbai (in 1996), while questioning his own financial "progress" over the last 25 years.
In its manifesto for the civic polls, the Shiv Sena has pledged to make Thane a slum-free city.
The party aims to provide permanent housing to 5 lakh families over the next 10 years by accelerating the Cluster Development Scheme. This plan intends to replace dangerous buildings and informal settlements with a master-planned layout featuring health centres, nurseries, and recreation hubs.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)