Mumbai, April 25 : Pushing the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Maharashtra into an embarrassing corner, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to campaign for the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) candidates in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls.
The MES, espousing the cause of the Marathi-speaking people of the border areas of Belagavi and others since over six decades, has put up half a dozen candidates — opposing the ruling BJP — in the neighbouring state.
“If they are really concerned about the welfare of the Marathi-people in the borders, then they should go and campaign for the MES candidates,” said Sena (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, throwing the gauntlet at Shinde-Fadnavis on what is a political-cum-emotional subject in the two states.
On his part, Raut announced to media-persons that he would be going to campaign for the MES candidates in Belagavi on May 3-4, and other party leaders are also likely to follow.
Simultaneously, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, Congress-Nationalist Congress Party-Shiv Sena (UBT) also plan to help the MES candidates win against the BJP nominees there.
Raut said that he has already discussed the issue of bolstering the MES candidates with NCP President Sharad Pawar and Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“I also request Shinde-Fadnavis to join us and campaign for the MES candidates in Belgauma If they don’t come, then their assurances of standing with the Marathi-speaking people of the border regions are hollow.So they should participate actively for the MES.”
In the last quarter of 2022, the governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra were at loggerheads on various policy issues and special initiatives announced by both sides for the people on the disputed boundary regions.
As the row escalated, it prompted Central intervention with Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordering both sides to refrain from making any claims till the Supreme Court verdict is delivered on the issue, cooling the matters temporarily.
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