Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of operating a “rumour-manufacturing factory” to create political instability and divert public attention from pressing issues confronting the state.
In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction criticised Fadnavis over his recent assertion that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Maharashtra would remain unchanged and that no new political parties would be inducted into the alliance. The editorial claimed the statement reflected how “helpless and confused” the Chief Minister had become under directives issued by the BJP's central leadership in Delhi.
The article alleged that the BJP had deliberately fuelled speculation suggesting that the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) was considering joining the NDA.
Describing the BJP as a “rumour-manufacturing factory” and naming Fadnavis as its “Chairman”, the editorial also targeted the party's IT Cell.
“At least two thousand salaried individuals work in this factory, commonly known as the IT Cell, costing millions of rupees monthly. It is because the Chief Minister has successfully built these rumour factories that he has ironically earned the title of ‘Inframan’. Whenever there is a need to deflect from Maharashtra’s core issues, this factory pumps out misinformation to trigger chaos in the state,” the editorial stated.
The Thackeray faction alleged that what it called the “Devendra Factory” had systematically circulated a series of misleading claims involving the NCP (SP).
“First, claiming that NCP(SP) Members of Parliament (MPs) were breaking away. When that failed, generating rumors of a total party merger with the NDA. Finally, claiming a merger between both factions of the NCP while excluding Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar,” it said.
The editorial maintained that only Sharad Pawar could clarify the facts surrounding the speculation and rejected reports linking recent political meetings to possible alliance discussions. It said a recent meeting between Pawar and Fadnavis was an official gathering focused exclusively on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute and attended by a delegation of around 20 to 25 members, including representatives of the Maharashtra Ekikiaran Samiti from Belagavi.
According to the editorial, portraying that meeting as a platform for secret NDA merger discussions was “ridiculous”.
The publication also defended NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil against reports stemming from his brief interaction with BJP leader Vinod Tawde at a Mumbai hotel. Citing Patil's explanation, it said he had gone to meet MP Supriya Sule during a break in a Parliamentary Committee meeting, where Tawde was also present as a committee member.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction argued that routine interactions between public representatives were being misrepresented through false narratives aimed at creating mistrust within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). It noted that Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant is also a member of the same committee, making such interactions a normal part of parliamentary functioning.
The editorial further alleged that governance in Maharashtra has increasingly become centralised, claiming that major decisions are dictated from Delhi while state leaders are informed only at the final stage. It accused the BJP of engineering defections by using “fund bullying”, financial influence and central investigative agencies rather than political persuasion.
The party also argued that joining the NDA at this juncture would amount to “political suicide” for any regional party. It questioned the possibility of Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcoming the original NCP (SP) into the alliance while Ajit Pawar's faction already remains a constituent of the Mahayuti government, describing such speculation as “senseless”.
Expanding its criticism to the national level, the editorial alleged that the BJP has suffered political setbacks over corruption and looting allegations related to the Ram Temple, claiming these issues have alienated sections of its traditional support base. It further asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity is “sliding down like the rupee” and claimed that Amit Shah is facing internal resistance within the party.
The editorial also criticised Fadnavis for not speaking out on what it described as a recent “murderous assault” on a female doctor in Thane district by individuals allegedly associated with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Concluding its attack, the Thackeray camp accused the Chief Minister of choosing to focus on political speculation instead of addressing serious law-and-order concerns, attributing his approach to frustration over decisions being taken by the BJP leadership in Delhi.
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