No war among three parties, says Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: Amid reported tensions among the MahaYuti-NDA allies - BJP Shiv Sena and NCP - in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reiterated that there was no tension or cold war between the three parties even as he asked the Shiv Sena workers to be “battle ready” for local bodies elections.

“All three parties are working together. There’s no cold war; our war is against those who work against development,” Shinde said at a meeting of Shiv Sena at Worli on Tuesday evening. 

“You have to be battle ready and prepare for the upcoming municipal elections with full force,” said Shinde amid thunderous applause.  “To achieve a high flight, one must soar like a hawk, not become a traitor. We’ve just crossed the sea, and there’s still a long way to go,” he said. 

The local bodies polls in Maharashtra which include the 29 municipal corporations and several municipal councils - is expected to be held later this year, however, the three allies are yet to formally declare its position on having an alliance or not.

Shinde,  former Chief Minister and ex Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly, paid glowing tributes to late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and his mentor Dharmaveer Anand Dighe. 

“I declared in my first speech in the Assembly (in July 2022 after the Shiv Sena uprising) that the MahaYuti-Yuti would win over 200 seats—or else I would return to farming. But the people of Maharashtra, including our beloved sisters, brothers, farmers, and elders, voted overwhelmingly for us. They showed in the elections who the real Shiv Sena is,” the Shiv Sena chief leader said. 

Shinde also hit out at Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.  “Those who accused us of taking bribes were locked away by the public. I’m not here for power; I’m here for people. I’ve never bargained for positions. I rebelled to carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals, guided by the principles of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe,” he said. 

"They don't care for Balasaheb's principles; all they want is the party's property,” Shinde said, taking a dig at Thackeray. 

Further emphasizing the Shiv Sena's ideological roots, Shinde said, "Balasaheb Thackeray was the  leader who gave this country the ideology of Hindutva. But the opposition succumbed to the lure of power and lost everything. If they hadn’t become Chief Minister, the party wouldn’t have split. They began treating their colleagues as servants. A party doesn’t grow by creating hierarchies of masters and servants. They even called a district head and asked, 'Will you stay with the master or go with the servant?' That kind of mentality will never grow the party,” said Shinde.

"This party belongs to the workers. Balasaheb nurtured it with his heart, respecting every Shiv Sainik. We’ve followed the teachings of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe to bring a government for the common people. In the gram panchayat elections held after our rebellion, we emerged as the second-largest party. People are joining us in large numbers; instead of questioning why they're coming here, the opposition should introspect about why people are leaving them,” said Shinde. 

On the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)’s attack on him being conferred the conferred  the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar in the by NCP (SP) supreme Sharad Pawar in presence of Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, he said: “When a Marathi person felicitates another Marathi person, it’s a moment of pride. But in criticizing me, they insulted Mahadji Shinde's legacy, the literary community, and even those who helped them become Chief Minister.”