Mumbai, June 20 (IANS) Launching a scathing attack on the prevailing political culture in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday targeted the ruling dispensation and turncoat politicians, saying that “only living corpses remain once self-respect is compromised.”

Addressing a meeting of MNS office-bearers from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, Thackeray expressed deep concern over what he described as the moral decline in state politics and questioned the legacy being left behind for future generations.

His remarks came against the backdrop of “Operation Tiger”, the widely discussed political exercise led by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s camp, which resulted in a split within the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) parliamentary ranks, with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shinde-led faction.

Expressing anger over the repeated splitting of political parties, Thackeray contrasted the hardships faced by ordinary citizens with the priorities of political leaders.

“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.

Directly addressing voters, Thackeray questioned how long citizens would tolerate elected representatives switching sides after securing mandates through multi-crore deals.

“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.

Thackeray also criticised the ruling dispensation for focusing on political defections instead of addressing pressing social and economic issues. Referring to rising suicide rates across the country, particularly among farmers and students, he said the situation demanded urgent attention.

“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 further alleged that while politicians were being shifted to luxury resorts to prevent defections, the country was witnessing an alarming rise in human trafficking, with children and women being abducted and exploited.

“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.

While praising MNS workers for their public outreach and agitations, Thackeray also offered a candid assessment of the party’s electoral shortcomings. He urged party functionaries to focus on booth-level organisation and detailed scrutiny of voter lists, stressing that political power could only be secured through strong grassroots preparation.

“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 noted that elections had become highly professionalised and pointed to political reversals in states such as Bihar and West Bengal as examples of the importance of effective electoral management.

Concluding his address, Thackeray warned that neglecting the mechanics of election management was costing the party valuable time and opportunities.

“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.

–IANS

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