Thackeray Accuses BJP of 'Power Jihad'

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in 'power jihad' by breaking apart political parties to maintain power. This accusation follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah's jibe labeling Thackeray as the head of the 'Aurangzeb Fan Club'. Thackeray retaliated by calling Shah the 'political descendant' of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler who defeated the Marathas in the Battle of Panipat. Thackeray also criticized the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government for bribing voters with schemes like 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin'. The war of words between Thackeray and BJP leaders, including Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, comes amidst rising political tensions ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.