Aaditya Thackeray Accuses BJP of Buying Six MPs to Pass Delimitation Bill

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has accused the BJP of orchestrating the defection of six MPs to the ruling Shiv Sena to secure a majority for an upcoming delimitation bill. Speaking about the political shifts affecting his constituency of Worli and the state of Maharashtra, Thackeray alleged the move is designed to alter constitutional provisions and reduce the political representation of Maharashtra and southern states.

According to Thackeray, the six MPs did not switch parties due to ideological reasons but were bought out by Eknath Shinde to empower the BJP. He claimed that the central government intends to use the delimitation bill to significantly increase the number of Lok Sabha seats in North India, thereby crushing the voice of Maharashtra and the southern states.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also alleged that the political maneuvering serves an internal BJP purpose. He claimed a faction within the BJP wants to raise Shinde’s standing to keep Devendra Fadnavis out of the race for the prime ministership in 2029, effectively trying to clip Fadnavis's wings by pushing him towards the Union cabinet.

Addressing claims by the defected MPs that they switched sides due to a lack of development funds, Thackeray criticized their performance. He pointed out that the Mumbai North-East MP had utilized only 1.5 percent of his allotted local area development funds. He accused the BJP-led governments of blocking funds for opposition representatives but stated the defectors failed to use what they already had.

The defection of close political aide Sachin Ahir has raised questions about Thackeray's upcoming electoral battle in Worli. However, Thackeray dismissed concerns about the impact on his seat, stating that his work speaks for itself and that voters would reject what he termed the politics of corruption and defection.