The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha ‘Vikas’ Aghadi (MVA) was in government for a little more than two and a half years. The tenure was no less than a travesty for both Hindus and Maharashtra’s Vikas.

Here is what Maharashtra’s citizens endured during the MVA tenure:

1) Minority appeasement: True to its pseudo-secular nature, the MVA government resorted to appeasement politics when in power. From distributing 1.80 crores rupees as ‘salaries’ to teachers of 121 madrasas in the state to assuring Muslim reservation, they left no stone unturned to please Islamists. It is little wonder then that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind wants the Aghadi back in power and has appealed to Muslims to vote for Congress-led Aghadi.

2) Hindudvesh: On the one hand, Islamists were being appeased and on the other, Hindus were not even allowed to celebrate their festivals. The Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA Sarkar banned the Hindu Chhath Puja. However, what better could be expected from the government headed by a person who continuously spewed anti-Hindu venom including taking casteist jibes at Bhagwan Ram?

The brutal manner in which two Sadhus and their Hindu driver were lynched to death can never be forgotten. The apex court had even pulled up the MVA government regarding this case.

3) Freedom of speech: MVA leaders and their followers repeatedly engaged in hooliganism to tyrannize the citizens. In March 2022, in two separate incidents in Jalgaon, Shiv Sena goons were seen thrashing common citizens for putting up ‘offensive’ posts against then Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Sena goons had assaulted a Navy veteran for simply forwarding a message on WhatsApp, then MVA minister Jitendra Awhad had Thane resident Anant Karmuse abducted and beaten black and blue for an alleged offensive Facebook post, BJP leader Satish Katekar was assaulted publicly by Sena goons in Pandharpur for criticizing Uddhav Thackeray last year. These are just some of the instances of hooliganism Maharashtra has witnessed ever since MVA  gained a back-door entry to form the government in the state.

In August 2021, two BJP leaders, one of whom is a union minister, were assaulted by Shiv Sena hooligans. Within a week, Kirit Somaiya was attacked allegedly by Sena goons, and Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested in a highhanded manner by the Ratnagiri police.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad had Nashik youth Nikhil Bhamre arrested for his social media post. Awhad had demanded action against Nikhil for allegedly criticizing Pawar. “It is time to create a Nathuram Godse of Baramati for a ‘Gandhi’ of Baramati. Uncle, do apologize”, Nikhil had tweeted. Following this, Awhad tagged police officials and demanded strict action against the youth.

Not satisfied having gotten the youngster arrested, the NCP left no stone unturned to keep him behind bars. NCP members filed multiple FIRs against the 21-year-old pharmacy student. These cases were filed in different cities for the same crime in a bid to keep Nikhil engaged in court cases and make him run from one police station to another.

In May 2021, Pradip Gavade, Secretary of BJP’s Yuva Morcha was taken into custody by the Bandra Police Cyber Cell from his Pune residence for allegedly criticizing NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar and his grandson Rohit Pawar.

4) Misgovernance and corruption: MVA health minister Rajesh Tope had dismissed the death of 37 Covid patients due to fire as ‘not national news.’ The government’s corruption had earned it the moniker of the Vasooli government. The indecisiveness of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government impacted the Mumbai metro project. We’ve not even touched upon the stalling of numerous projects started by Devendra Fadnavis as an ego-massaging exercise by Uddhav Thackeray and his allies. Even today they keep threatening to discontinue projects if voted to power instead of assuring the state’s development.

It is time for Maharashtra’s citizens to choose wisely and ensure that they aren’t put through the same ordeal for the next five years.