Eknath Shinde's Rally Sparks Fresh Row in Maharashtra Politics

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, during a Dussehra rally, claimed to have liberated Shiv Sena from betrayers of Bal Thackeray's ideals. He criticized Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), equating it with AIMIM. The speech targeted Uddhav Thackeray on issues from governance to political strategies.

In a fiery Dussehra rally at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared liberation of the Shiv Sena from those he deemed traitors to Bal Thackeray's ideals. Shinde launched a direct attack on Uddhav Thackeray, claiming there was little difference between Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi.

Shinde emphasized his party's dominance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, where his faction of Shiv Sena won 7 out of 15 contested seats, highlighting a higher strike rate compared to Sena (UBT). The Chief Minister pointed out that the Maha Vikas Aghadi's success in the polls was accidental and not a permanent fixture in state politics.

Further criticizing Uddhav Thackeray's governance, Shinde accused him of neglecting key infrastructure projects and alleged corruption in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the pandemic. Shinde's remarks raise questions about Thackeray's leadership and the political landscape in Maharashtra.

(With inputs from agencies.)