How did one engine of double-engine govt fail: Aaditya Thackeray on loss of Vedanta-Foxconn project

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday took a jibe at the Eknath Shinde-led government over Maharashtra losing the proposed Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project to Gujarat, asking how did "one engine of the double-engine government fail".

Thackeray was speaking before a gathering of party workers in Ratnagiri, the home district of rebel Sena MLA and Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant.

"How did the project go out of Maharashtra when we had done so much follow-up with Vedanta? The chief minister and industries minister were clueless," he said.

In any other state, the CM would have asked for the industries minister's resignation, Thackeray added.

The Shinde-led Maharashtra government was also unaware that Bulk Drug Park project slipped out of the hands of the state and such parks are now coming up in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, he said.

"How did one engine of the double-engine government fail?" he asked.

"Double-engine government" is a term BJP leaders use to imply that having a BJP government in a state can expedite its development as the party is already in power at the Centre.

Aaditya said the state government was also unaware of another project by Airbus which could come up in Nagpur.

Only after he raised the issue the state government woke up and said it will ensure that it comes up in Maharashtra, he claimed.

Talking to reporters about the proposed refinery project in the Ratnagiri district, Thackeray said his party was with the local people.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been countering the criticism over the loss of the semiconductor project by pointing out that the even bigger Nanar refinery project was opposed by the Shiv Sena.

"We did a follow-up with the Centre. The next step was presentation by people in favour and against the refinery project. Whatever is right will come before people," Thackeray said when asked about the project.

In March, then CM Uddhav Thackeray had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proposing to move the USD 60 billion refinery project in Nanar in Ratnagiri to Barsu in the same district following opposition by local people in Nanar.