Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has voiced his disapproval of Uddhav Thackeray's recent overtures to 21 socialist parties, characterizing this move as a "betrayal of voters."
According to Shinde, forging a coalition with socialist parties represents a breach of trust with the electorate. He even expressed concern that such efforts might culminate in an alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), a regional political party.
Shinde's comments arose in the aftermath of Thackeray's interactions with leaders from 21 socialist parties within the state. Thackeray conveyed that the primary disagreements with these parties were grounded in ideological distinctions, but he believed that these differences could be reconciled for the greater good of democracy.
In response, Shinde made strong statements, claiming that "Uddhav-led Shiv Sena loves money." He recounted an incident where the Shiv Sena requested a sum of Rs 50 crore from him, purportedly from the undivided party's collection of donations. According to Shinde, this episode served as evidence that the Shiv Sena's priority lay in financial matters rather than the party's values.
Shinde, in a bid to gear up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, convened a meeting with all 13 Shiv Sena Members of Parliament on Monday. Subsequently, he held discussions with district heads, office bearers, and women's wing leaders the following day.
Shinde also announced plans for an Azad Shiv Sena meeting at Azad Maidan. He underscored the significance of this meeting, claiming that the Election Commission's decision had validated his faction as the "authentic Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray."
Furthermore, he declared that his party would no longer organize Dussehra rallies at Shivaji Park due to past conflicts that had arisen among different factions within the Shiv Sena.
As part of the post-meeting developments, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena asserted its rights to the 22 Lok Sabha seats contested by the undivided Shiv Sena in the 2019 elections, during its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
