Eknath Shinde with Republican Sena led Anandraj Ambedkar.
Credit: X/@@AnandrjAmbedkar
Mumbai: In a significant development ahead of local bodies polls in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has forged an alliance with the Republican Sena led by Anandraj Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution of India.
“Both Shiv Sena and Republican Sena are parties that fight against injustice on the streets. The Shiv Sena carries the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts, and the Republican Sena carries the bloodline legacy of Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,” said Shinde, the Shiv Sena chief leader.
“As Chief Minister, I worked as a ‘Common Man’; now, as Deputy CM, I am ‘Dedicated to the Common Man’,” said Shinde and emphasized that serving the common man and the grassroots worker is their social commitment and that they have always stayed connected to the base of society.
“Thanks to Babasaheb’s Constitution, I became the Chief Minister, and Narendra Modi from a humble background became the Prime Minister,” Shinde said. He reiterated that the Constitution is supreme and should deliver justice to the marginalized and bring them into the mainstream. “We work with Babasaheb’s Constitution and the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as our guiding lights,” he said.
Anandraj Ambedkar is the younger brother of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar.
Recalling that the Shivshakti-Bhimshakti alliance had started in Thane, Shinde said that since both parties are grassroots-driven, this alliance would be a strong combination.
“Balasaheb considered his associates as companions, but some began to think of themselves as his heirs—that's where things went wrong,” he said, taking a jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Anandraj Ambedkar stated that this alliance would bring about significant social and political change in the state.
Shinde clarified that the Constitution was never in danger, but the opposition used fake narratives for political gain. “People showed them their place in the Assembly elections,” he said. “As long as the sun and moon exist, Babasaheb’s Constitution will remain intact….Those claiming the Constitution is in danger now find their own existence under threat,” he added.