Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Shiv Sena’s (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, engaged in a showdown in Mumbai on May 17 ahead of the city heading to polls on May 20. They exchanged barbs over corruption, Hindutva, the ‘real’ Shiv Sena, Article 370 and the Constitution.
Mr. Modi, addressing a packed gathering at the Shivaji Park in Dadar, said Mumbai is going to play a huge role in the mission of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He alleged that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Mr. Thackeray halted all development projects in Mumbai, including the bullet train, Mumbai metro and the container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. “They were taking revenge from Mumbai. Modi has come here to give what Mumbai deserves,” he said.
Mr. Modi said he has a 10-year report card and a 25-year road map, and the INDIA bloc has nothing but as many prime ministerial candidates as the number of partners in the alliance.
