A fortnight after Uddhav Thackeray addressed a grand rally at Khed, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is set to address a gathering at the same place on Sunday in what is expected to be a major show of strength.
Khed in Ratnagiri district is in the middle of the coastal Konkan belt of Maharashtra.
Uddhav, a former Chief Minister, whose Maha Vikas Aghadi government was toppled by Shinde with the help of the BJP, had addressed a rally at Khed on March 5.
Shinde’s rally assumes significance as it comes just after the Supreme Court concluded the hearing in the disqualification case involving the change of power in Maharashtra.
Uddhav is fighting the biggest battle for the 56-year-old Shiv Sena founded by his late father Balasaheb Thackeray as recently the Election Commission allotted the party name and traditional bow-and-arrow symbol to Shinde.
Incidentally, the Khed seat is currently represented by Yogesh Kadam who is part of the Shinde group. Kadam’s father Ramdas Kadam, a former Leader of the Opposition and ex-minister, is overseeing all the arrangements at Khed.
The Shinde faction has been legitimised as the real Shiv Sena for various reasons including the fact that it has more strength in the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Published 18 March 2023, 10:11 IST