Maharashtra EV policy debate: Aaditya Thackeray cites Rajiv Bajaj warning and blames BJP

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday cited sharp remarks by Bajaj Auto MD and CEO Rajiv Bajaj about Maharashtra’s electric vehicle policy. Thackeray blamed the BJP-led state government for what Thackeray called the policy’s decline. Bajaj raised concerns during an interview with CNBC-TV18. Bajaj warned that the state’s EV policy may be nearing failure.

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In the interview, Rajiv Bajaj discussed how states handled electric vehicle subsidies. Bajaj said delays happened in some places, but payments usually came through later. Bajaj then contrasted that experience with Maharashtra. Bajaj described the situation there as different. Bajaj linked the problem to the state government’s EV subsidy process.

Maharashtra EV policy faces subsidy delays, Rajiv Bajaj says

Rajiv Bajaj said the pace of subsidy payouts changed after April 2023. Bajaj claimed payments that were made until that time then slowed sharply. Bajaj also said the issue affected most of the industry. Bajaj’s comments came while answering a question on whether subsidy disbursal was consistent across states.

"In my 35 years, I have never witnessed anything that I could call a policy failure of government. But I think it is about to happen, with the Maharashtra governments EV policy,\" Bajaj said.

Maharashtra EV policy: Aaditya Thackeray blames BJP government

Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, responded in a post on X. Thackeray said the BJP-led government let a functioning EV policy weaken. Thackeray referred to the state EV policy introduced in 2021. Thackeray linked that policy to the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Thackeray said the policy supported growth in the sector.

\"The EV policy 2021 brought in by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was active and dynamic giving a boost to the entire sector. Businesses, customers, everyone in the EV business considered our policy to be the best in India,\" Thackeray wrote.

\"Unfortunately, with a change in govt, the BJPs entire focus changed and now we see that a policy that showed success in its initial years, has been made to collapse by the BJP regime,\" he added.

Bajaj said subsidy delays were not rare in other states, but dues were later paid. Bajaj claimed Maharashtra did not follow that pattern. Thackeray used Bajaj’s comments to argue that the policy lost direction after a change in government. The exchange highlighted concerns over subsidy backlogs and the policy’s future in Maharashtra.

With inputs from PTI