Palghar bypoll: Yogi Adityanath, Uddhav Thackeray lock horns during campaigning

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday trained guns at each other as both leaders addressed campaign rallies for their candidates for the upcoming Palghar Lok sabha seat by-election.

Adityanath alleged that the Shiv Sena had back-stabbed the BJP while Thackeray pointed out that the latter could not win elections in his own backyard and had come to campaign for his party in Maharashtra.

The May 28 bypoll, necessitated due to the death of BJP’s sitting MP Chintaman Wanga, has become another flashpoint between ruling allies BJP and Shiv Sena as the latter chose to contest the election and even fielded Wanga’s son as its candidate.

The BJP has fielded Congress turncoat Rajendra Gavit.

In a bid to woo north Indian voters, especially migrants from UP, the BJP on Wednesday got Adityanath to address a campaign rally at Virar.

Launching a frontal attack on Sena, Adityanath alleged that the party has betrayed the BJP.

“Today, the soul of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray must be really sad looking at the backstabbing by the party formed by him. Balasaheb never backstabbed anyone. He always fought from front against anti-national forces. But today Shiv Sena is weakening his own customs and traditions,” he said.

On the other hand, Thackeray who started his three-day long campaign of Palghar targeted the UP CM while addressing a rally at Nalla Sopara.

“The BJP had to call outsiders for campaigning and they have got Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. He could not get candidates elected from his own constituency and he is campaigning here,”said Thackeray.