Determined Uddhav vows to fight traitors

Uddhav Thackeray, former chief minister of Maharashtra, has vowed to defeat his rival Eknath Shinde and bring the Shiv Sena party back to power. Thackeray called on his supporters to finish off the "enemy" in a final battle, stating that traitors and old friends had posed a new challenge. Thackeray also criticised Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, calling Shinde a new slave of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadnavis the PM's "blind follower". The two factions have been locked in a bitter tussle ahead of the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

A year has passed since he lost chief minister’s chair and two-third of his MPs and MLAs to his one-time ally turned rebel Eknath Shinde, but Uddhav Thackeray has not given up. On the contrary, his determination seems to grow with each passing day.

Mumbai: Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party chief Uddhav Thackeray addressing during the Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party 57th foundation Anniversary celebration at Shanmukhanand hall, in the presence of others senior leaders, in Mumbai on Monday, 19 June 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande) (Hindustan Times)

Addressing Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries on the foundation day - first since the split in the party - Thackeray called upon his supporters to finish off the “enemy” in a final battle.

“Some people left the party, but I have never lost hope. Shiv Sena has faced challenges in the past. Now traitors and old friends have posed a new challenge, and this will be the final one for Shiv Sena. With the help of all of you I will defeat them and bring the party back to power,” Thackeray said, in an apparent reference to his bête noire and current CM Shinde.

Thackeray also announced that the party would observe June 20 as traitors’ day.

In his brief but aggressive speech, Thackeray called Shinde a new slave of prime minister Narendra Modi and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis the PM’s ‘andh bhakta’ (blind follower).

“When I criticised Modi, a new slave (Shinde) said it was like spitting at the sun. If Modi is the sun, then why doesn’t it rise in Manipur?” asked Thackeray.

While Thackeray celebrated the day in a traditional way at Shanmukhananda auditorium in King’s Circle, Shinde turned this occasion into a show of strength at Goregaon.

The last one year saw the two factions locking horns frequently. The bitter tussle has now intensified ahead of the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

To rebuild his battered party, Thackeray held extensive meetings with functionaries across the state after he realised that a significant number of workers had not left the party though the majority of elected representatives had joined Shinde. He also chose to continue with the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi as the combined strength of the three parties could be a formidable opposition to the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.