Speaking at a gathering of MNS office-bearers from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, Thackeray said the state’s politics had witnessed a worrying decline in values and accountability. He questioned the kind of political culture being handed down to future generations.

His comments came amid the political churn triggered by “Operation Tiger,” an exercise associated with Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s camp that led to a split in the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s parliamentary ranks. Six of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs eventually aligned with the Shinde-led faction.

Condemning the repeated defections and breakups within political parties, Thackeray said leaders appeared more focused on power struggles than on addressing the challenges confronting ordinary citizens.

“A drought-like situation is looming large over Maharashtra and various parts of the country, and what are our leaders busy doing? They are poaching MPs, poaching MLAs, and poaching corporators! They are ready to pump in any amount of money just to secure and retain power. People are being bought and sold like commodities,” he remarked.

Voters overturncoat leaders

Drawing attention to the sacrifices made by voters during elections, Thackeray questioned whether the electorate would continue to support leaders who switch loyalties after winning public mandates.

“Citizens stand in long queues for two, three, or even five hours in the scorching sun just to cast their votes. Yet, the person they elect sells out for Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore,” he said.

“Will you elect these people again? If these very turncoats stand for elections tomorrow, what will your response be? Today, the value of your vote has been reduced to absolute zero,” he asked.

MNS chief raises concerns over farmers, students and NEET

The MNS chief further accused the ruling establishment of prioritising political manoeuvring over pressing public concerns. He pointed to the growing number of farmer and student suicides and argued that these issues deserved far greater attention from policymakers.

“Look at what is happening to our youth, the question papers for competitive exams like NEET are being leaked. We had opposed the central implementation of the NEET exam right from the very beginning,” Thackeray noted.

He also alleged that while vast resources were being spent to prevent political defections, serious crimes such as human trafficking continued to threaten vulnerable sections of society.

“When these mammoth challenges are staring the country in the face, the priority remains pouring hundreds of crores of rupees into breaking opposition parties,” he alleged.

MNS workers praised, election strategy reviewed

Reviewing his party’s performance, Thackeray praised MNS workers for their outreach campaigns and protests but admitted that public support on the ground was not translating into electoral gains. He urged party leaders to strengthen booth-level networks and closely monitor voter rolls.

“Our workers hit the streets and led excellent protests. The agitation reaches people’s homes, but unfortunately, that anger does not translate into the ballot box,” Thackeray observed.

He stressed that modern elections require meticulous planning and organisation, citing political developments in Bihar and West Bengal as examples of how electoral management can influence outcomes.

Focus on grassroots strength

Thackeray said weaknesses in election preparedness had repeatedly cost the party valuable opportunities and called for greater focus on the fundamentals of campaigning.

“Everyone wants to become an MLA, an MP, or a corporator, but our oversight on voter lists costs us five valuable years at a time. We dream of creating a Maharashtra that the world envies, but to make that a reality, we must first secure the mandate of political power,” he noted.