'Gadkari then, Fadnavis now': RSS-backed leaders being sidelined by BJP, claims Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership of attempting to politically sideline Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Thackeray alleges that the BJP is deliberately diminishing Fadnavis's influence to prevent him from becoming a contender for prime minister after Narendra Modi.

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After Nitin Gadkari, the BJP leadership in Delhi is now trying to cut Devendra Fadnavis to size. They want to remove him from the race of becoming prime minister after Narendra Modi.

Thackeray drew a parallel between Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, both leaders with roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He claimed that both have faced similar resistance from the BJP's Delhi leadership due to their RSS affiliations. "Both Gadkari and Fadnavis have the support of the RSS and both have faced the same treatment," Thackeray stated.

The former Maharashtra chief minister further questioned the RSS's role, asking if it would speak up if leaders perceived to be close to it were being sidelined. "Has the RSS become a slave of those BJP leaders and can't say anything in front of them?" he asked.

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Both Gadkari and Fadnavis have the support of the RSS and both have faced the same treatment.

These remarks come amid a period of political flux in Maharashtra and speculation about the internal dynamics of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Thackeray has recently accused the BJP of trying to weaken his party through defections and political tactics, referencing an alleged "Operation Tiger" to engineer exits from his faction and bolster rival groups. This follows the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, where Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Thackeray's leadership, ultimately leading to the collapse of the state government and Shinde becoming chief minister with BJP support.

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Is it acceptable to the RSS that its men are being cornered by the BJP leadership? Has the RSS become a slave of those BJP leaders and can't say anything in front of them?