'BJP Wants 400 Seats To Change Constitution': Uddhav Thackeray In Guhagar Rally

Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday claimed the BJP is campaigning with an aim to win more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as it wants to change the Constitution.

Addressing a rally at Guhagar in Ratnagiri district, Uddhav also claimed that the 'one nation one election' concept was a move towards dictatorship.

"Understand the strategy of the BJP... they want more than 400 seats (out of 543 in the Lok Sabha) because they don't want opposing voices when they go ahead with their plan of changing the Constitution," he said.

Uddhav Highlights Anantkumar Hegde's Remarks

"Recently more than 100 MPs were suspended from Parliament during which several important bills were passed without debate," he added. Notably, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde last week said his party needed a two-third majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and 'set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress.'

The BJP later moved to defuse the row sparked by Hegde's remarks as it dubbed it as his 'personal opinion' and sought a clarification from him.

Uddhav Hits Out At Rebels

Referring to the rebellion in the Shiv Sena in 2022 resulting in its split, Thackeray said he was never keen to become the chief minister but accepted the post under exceptional circumstances.

"Even if I did, I was working for the welfare of Maharashtra. I gave you ministerial posts and made you members of the legislature and you betray me in this manner," he said without naming anyone. "Elsewhere in the country, the head of a political party becomes chief minister. Just because of that you betray me," the former CM said