Election Wrap: Uddhav Thackeray Releases Sena Manifesto; Soren Terms BJP 'Showroom Of Lies And Hatred'

With less than two weeks left for the much-awaited assembly elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday unveiled his party's manifesto that included assurance of free education for male students, stabilizing prices of essential items and scrapping of the Dharavi redevelopment project.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).

Shiv Sena (UBT) manifesto: What are the promises?

While making the poll promises, Thackeray assured that the way female students in the state were getting free education under a government policy, it would be implemented for male students as well, if the MVA is voted to power.

Besides he also promised free travel for women in public transport buses and promised the recruitment of 18,000 women in state's police force.

He promised the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme and removal of the cap of 50 percent reservation. The manifesto also included a promise to keep the prices of essential commodities stable.

Commenting on the Dharavi redevelopment project, the former chief minister said it would be scrapped as the project will have ramifications on Mumbai.

Maharashtra and Mumbai will also have a housing policy keeping the rapid urbanisation in mind, he said. Affordable houses will be built for "sons of the soil" in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas, he added.

'Work from home': BJP takes swipe at Uddhav

Taking a dig at Uddhav Thackeray for releasing his party's manifesto from home, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday claimed that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader was focussing more on his family and neglecting the wider community.

Unlike Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray used to launch the party's manifesto from its headquarters at Shiv Sena Bhavan, the current Shiv Sena (UBT) chief unveiled his party's manifesto at his residence in Mumbai.

In a social media post, Bawankule said Uddhav Thackeray, who conducted Facebook Live sessions from home for "two-and-a-half years" when he was the chief minister, today unveiled his party's manifesto from his residence.

"For two and a half years, he (Uddhav) engaged in politics with his family's interests as his sole focus, often neglecting the wider community. His tendency to work from home shows no signs of changing." Bawankule claimed.

Hemant Soren's election proposer gets life threat

With just a few days left for the Jharkhand assembly elections, Mandal Murmu, one of the proposers of Chief Minister Hemant Soren's nomination from the Barhait assembly constituency, received a life threat on social media after joining the BJP. As per reports, one person was detained on Wednesday in connection with the incident.

"Murmu was allegedly given a life threat on a social media platform. We have detained a person in this regard and interrogation is underway," Dumka Superintendent of Police (SP) Pitambar Singh Kherwar told PTI.

Condemning the incident, former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren had urged the state police to take strict action against the person issuing the threat.

"This is the lowest level of politics. Such threats cannot be ignored. @JharkhandPolice @sahibganjpolic2 is requested to take strict action against such people with criminal mentality. @ceojharkhand @dc_sahibganj please arrange for the safety of the family of Mandal Murmu," he posted on X.

'Showroom of lies and hatred': Hemant Soren slams BJP

Right ahead of the elections, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren alleged that crores of rupees were being spent by the BJP to spread hatred, social animosity and lies against him.

Sharing a report on X referring to "shadow political advertisement", Soren said, "I am not wrong when I say that the BJP is a showroom of lies and hatred. They are spending crores of rupees to spread hatred, violence, social animosity and lies against me," he wrote on X.