Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday lashed out Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the former chief minister has no right to seek votes in the name of Bal Thackeray.
“Where has your Hindutva gone, you have no right to seek votes in Balasaheb Thackeray’s name,” Shinde said at a rally to mark the foundation day of the undivided party.
“Shiv Sena UBT has won only on Congress' vote bank. They are not following the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. You discarded Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology for vote bank politics,” the chief minister added.
“They (Shiv Sena UBT) are now with Congress, but we not like that and this is why we separated from them and formed real Shiv Sena. The people believe in us because we are the real Shiv Sena,” he added.
Speaking on the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, Shinde said,"We have to strengthen Mahayuti in Maharashtra for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. I assure you all that we will win more seats in upcoming elections."
Thackeray too held a rally in a show of strength on the party's foundation day. “Narendra Modi-led govt will collapse, we will set up INDIA bloc-led govt,” he said.
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Rejecting speculations of again aligning with the BJP, the Sena (UBT) chief said,"Will never go with those who tried to finish off Shiv Sena."
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Founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966, the Shiv Sena was split in 2022 after Eknath Shinde led a rebellion of party lawmakers to join hands with the BJP. The Election Commission in February last year recognised Shinde's faction as the real Shiv Sena.
In the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Mahayuti alliance comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 17 out of 48 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) won 30 seats.
