NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday issued a warning to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, both key members of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA alliance at the Centre.
Referencing the collapse of the Shiv Sena government—a move his party has long accused the BJP of orchestrating—Thackeray cautioned that what happened to his party could also happen to them in the future. He warned that the BJP’s ongoing campaign to weaken regional parties poses a serious threat to their political futures.
He also raised concerns about alleged electoral malpractice, including voter fraud and electronic voting machine (EVM) manipulation. Ahead of meeting former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Thackeray said, “The future of our country is in doubt. We do not know where our vote is going amid voter fraud and EVM fraud. Are elections in India still free and fair? What happened to us, Kejriwal ji, and Congress could happen to Nitish ji, RJD, and Chandrababu ji Naidu in the future.”
He accused the BJP of systematically targeting regional parties, saying, “BJP’s dream is to break up and finish off every regional party, just as they are doing with democracy in this country.”
Following his meeting with Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi, Thackeray reiterated the importance of opposition unity in addressing electoral issues. “Governments come and go, but our relationship will remain. The people of Delhi know the work Kejriwal has done over the last decade. The Election Commission played a major role in the Delhi elections. The INDIA Bloc and all opposition parties must strategise on the next steps, as elections in our democracy are no longer free and fair,” he said.
Thackeray’s comments come amid growing concerns within the opposition over alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently highlighted discrepancies in Maharashtra’s voter registration figures, claiming that 39 lakh new voters were added in just five months after the Lok Sabha elections. He also alleged that Maharashtra’s registered voter count exceeded the state’s total adult population.
No need to worry about Nitish Kumar: JDU
On Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s statement, JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha says, “He has no knowledge of ground reality. The backward, Dalit, and poor communities of Bihar started voting only after the EVM was introduced. Before that, when voting used to happen using ballot paper, people used to steal the booths… He (Aaditya Thackeray) does not need to worry about JDU and Nitish Kumar…”
In response to Aaditya Thackeray’s statement, JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha has criticised Thackeray’s understanding of the situation in Bihar. Jha stated, “He has no knowledge of the ground reality. The backward, Dalit, and poor communities of Bihar only began voting after the introduction of the EVM. Prior to that, when ballots were used, booth capturing was rampant.”
Jha further asserted that Thackeray should not be concerned about the JDU or Nitish Kumar.