Uddhav Thackeray On What Sharad Pawar Taught Him

Uddav Thackeray also assured a complete farm loan waiver in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, nearly one month into his government, found a way of crediting Sharad Pawar for the coalition as he addressed an event today. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief had shown how to form government with less seats, Mr Thackeray quipped in his address at Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Mumbai.

"We are here looking at how we can produce more in less land. Sharad Pawar has taught us to raise farm productivity and also how to make a government with less seats," said the Chief Minister, with the NCP leader seated on the stage.

This was seen as a dig at his predecessor Devendra Fadnavis, who had stressed in the assembly recently that the BJP was the single largest party in Maharashtra.

Mr Thackeray came to power after his party Shiv Sena, which placed second in the October 21 Maharashtra election, ended its ties with long-time ally BJP and teamed up with the Congress and Sharad Pawar's party.

The BJP was the single largest party and, along with the Sena, comfortably past the majority mark but the two parties fell out over power sharing.

Sharad Pawar, a veteran Maharashtra leader known to specialize in coalitions, acted as the go-between when the Congress struggled with the idea of joining hands with the ideologically opposite Sena.

After weeks of talks, the three parties finally came together on the basis of a common minimum agenda.

The BJP has repeatedly mocked the new alliance and doubted its longevity.

Mr Thackeray also assured a complete farm loan waiver in Maharashtra, as he addressed the institute where Mr Pawar is chairman.