Ramdas Kadam accuses Uddhav Thackeray of defaming Election Commission to hide failures

Maharashtra politics is heated over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are to hold a joint morcha in Mumbai on October 4. Other parties have also been invited to join. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) have indicated that they will take part.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Ramdas Kadam criticised Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. Kadam alleged that the Election Commission is being defamed to hide their failures. He said Uddhav Thackeray should introspect.

Kadam asked whether Uddhav Thackeray believes Gyanesh Kumar did not tamper with the process when more Congress MPs were elected, even as the Thackeray brothers agitate against him. Kadam also said he condemns this tendency to defame the Election Commission.

Kadam said that since Uddhav Thackeray had spoken of going to the people's court, he should also keep in mind the verdict the people gave in the elections. Taking a jibe, he said, "What slips away like a drop does not come back like a tank of water", and asked Uddhav Thackeray to remember this. Kadam also advised Uddhav Thackeray to think about why his close associates left him. He further alleged that Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are entertaining Maharashtra and trying to mislead people through theatrics.

Kadam also spoke about the students' agitation. In his view, it is not right to drag students into political issues. He said students should raise their own questions and that he would stand with them on those. Kadam alleged that a political ploy is under way to defame Maharashtra by using students as a shield.

Kadam also referred to work done on the Mithi river when he was environment minister. He claimed that a proposal had been prepared for roads along both banks of the river, action against unauthorised construction, increasing the river's depth and width, and a sewage treatment project. Kadam alleged that after Uddhav Thackeray became chief minister, the environment portfolio was given to Aaditya Thackeray and his decisions were then stalled.

Ahead of the October 4 morcha, the political row continues over the allegations about the SIR process and the Commission's stand. The Commission has earlier clarified that final decisions in the decision-making process were taken unanimously despite differences.