Uddhav faction hits out at PM Modi's 'short-term politics' remark

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on short-term politics not helping the country and questioned the manner in which the Bharatiya Janata Party formed a government with the faction led by Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra.

The PM made the statement while addressing a gathering in Nagpur earlier in the day after launching and inaugurating projects worth Rs 75,000 crore. He said the "country's development cannot take place through shortcut politics" and that "some political parties are trying to destroy the country's economy and people should expose such politicians and parties".

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Terming the statement as "funny", Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said "short-term politics is is undermining the Constitution, the federal structure of the country, democracy and agencies to form illegal and unconstitutional government".

In a reference to the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government getting formed in June after a rebellion in the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit, she said, "You (BJP) could have waited for five years for elections and then got your majority. But what you have done is a result of short-term gains, short-term politics and short-sightedness that damages constitutional morality." She further claimed Maharashtra currently had a CM whose party was not even registered.

Post the split in the Shiv Sena, Shinde's faction is called 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena', while the one headed by Thackeray is called Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

Both groups have staked claim to being the original Shiv Sena and have sought the use of the party's name and symbol.