In an apparent jab at Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said that those who shunned Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology, have become “Naa Ghar Ka Naa Ghat Ka (Neither fish nor fowl)”.
Addressing a rally ‘Shivotsav’ to commemorate late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his birth anniversary at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, Shinde said that the party faction led by him stuck to Balasaheb’s ideology that resulted in a huge poll victory for them.
He emphasised the need for strength and hard work to achieve success. “We had secured two lakhs more votes than UBT Sena in Lok Sabha polls and 15 lakhs more votes in Assembly polls. Now, tell us to whom does the real Shiv Sena belong?” Shinde asked.
The Mahayuti alliance comprising the Shiv Sena (Shinde), the BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party of Ajit Pawar won 231 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
“We won with a massive mandate because we didn’t leave Balasaheb’s ideology,” Shinde said. “I was always a karyakarta and will continue to be so. Self-respect is more important for us than any chair”, he said, dismissing the reports of discord with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the coveted post.
The rally also saw Eknath Shinde being felicitated by beneficiaries of the Laadli Behen scheme for the Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory in the recently-concluded Assembly polls. Shinde expressed his gratitude, saying the position of Laadla Bhai given to him by lakhs of Laadli Behen is more important than any other position.
Shinde concluded his speech by outlining the party’s plans for the upcoming local body polls. “We will repeat our victory from Gram Sabha to Municipal Corporations. We will take Shiv Sena to every home in every village. Our target is to build a stronger Shiv Sena. Nothing is impossible for our Shiv Sainik”, he asserted.
In another significant development, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) announced that all party office bearers in Mumbai will be dismissed, and new appointments will be made based on previous performances.
