Milind Deora criticizes Congress in Maharashtra polls; Eknath Shinde brings in Raj Thackeray for campaign support.

Deora also said that Sena (UBT) is adopting a hypocritical stance, seeking votes from the Dalit community but unwilling to provide leadership opportunities to the Dalits.

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora recently criticized both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) for not fielding Varsha Gaikwad as a candidate in the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat, alleging that their actions reflect an anti-Dalit stance. Deora pointed out that while Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting from 21 seats in the state, they have only one Dalit candidate. In contrast, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced eight candidates, including three Dalits.

Deora accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of betraying the Dalit community by not courageously nominating Dalit candidates in significant constituencies. He criticized Shiv Sena (UBT) for seeking votes from the Dalit community but not providing leadership opportunities to them. Deora mentioned that Varsha Gaikwad faced opposition from certain Congress leaders due to her caste when she aimed for the position of Mumbai Congress President, and Uddhav Thackeray reportedly advised against nominating her for the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat because she is a Dalit.

Additionally, following Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's announcement of unconditional support for the ruling alliance in the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena plans to involve Raj in campaigning and rallies across several districts, including Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, and Aurangabad. Sena leader Rahul Shewale met with Raj Thackeray to request rallies, highlighting that Raj would be supporting Shiv Sena's bow and arrow poll symbol for the first time in 20 years.