'Eknath Shinde has no opinion, does whatever BJP...': Shiv Sena (UBT) leader
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray arrived at Sena Bhawan in Mumbai on Friday to hold a meeting with party leaders. Thackeray has called a crucial meeting with district heads, contact heads, and MLAs of the party.
Speaking about the meeting, Shiv Sena UBT Leader Bhaskar Jadhav informed that the meeting aims to strategise and prepare for potential elections.
"The Supreme Court has given a judgment that elections for local sectors like Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, District Councils, and Panchayat Committees must be conducted within four months. So, because of that, the party should also be ready for elections. The party must prepare some kind of strategy for the elections. The party should also be ready for the election and should make a strategy, that's why a meeting of the district chief and public representatives has been called", Jadhav told reporters.
Jadhav also criticised Eknath Shinde's recent remarks against Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that Shinde's words seemed to be dictated by the BJP. "The words used by Eknath Shinde for Uddhav Thackeray ... it seems to me that the mouth is of Eknath Shinde but the words are of BJP, Eknath Shinde has no idea, no opinion, whatever BJP says, Eknath Shinde has to do that. So it seems to me that although Eknath Shinde's face is visible, everything is actually being done by the BJP..." Jadhav alleged.
Earlier, addressing a gathering in Mumbai on Thursday, on the occasion of Shiv Sena Foundation Day, Eknath Shinde slammed Uddhav Thackeray, saying that his "arrogance" is leading him to "destruction." Shinde said that Maharashtra has never seen such a "treacherous person" and alleged that he betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray's " ideas."
"Arrogance is leading them to destruction. Maharashtra is witness to this. We know who committed the sin of tying Congress around their neck. He was helpless for power and tied his head around his waist. He betrayed Balasaheb's ideas. Maharashtra has never seen such a treacherous person", Eknath Shinde added.
Furthermore, Jadhav attacked the BJP stating, "Which party has the BJP not allied with in this country? Is there any party left that the BJP hasn't formed an alliance with? Did they take a certificate of Hindutva from Ramdas Athawale when they aligned with him? From Chirag Paswan? Did Bihar CM Nitish Kumar ever accept Hindutva? What about Chandrababu Naidu? BJP's Hindutva is only for the sake of power. The real Hindutva lies with Shiv Sena, with Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, and only with Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray."
On the Mumbai visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jadhav criticised Home Minister Shah for being selective about which states to visit. Jadhav claimed, "Understand that the Union Home Minister or the Prime Minister repeatedly visits a state where elections have come in that state. It gives such an indication. When there is an election, they go to the state; when there is no election, they do not go there, do not see anything ..."
Earlier, indicating that an alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was on the cards, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said he would do what was in the minds of the people of the state.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) President also took a dig at the Mahayuti alliance, saying that the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena do not want Marathi parties to unite. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister, addressing the party's foundation day event on Thursday, said if the BJP dared to finish Thackeray, then he would "finish off" the BJP." What people want will happen. We will see how it is to be done. The BJP and Shinde Sena do not want Marathi parties to unite. If you try to finish the Thackeray brand, we will finish off the BJP," Thackeray said.
Uddhav said he would not allow the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra. He remarked that just ahead of the BMC polls, the imposition of Hindi was nothing but an attempt to create division among Marathis and non-Marathis."The imposition of Hindi in the state will not be allowed at any cost. The BJP wants to create a divide between Marathi and Hindi speakers on the eve of civic polls," the Former Maharashtra CM said.
There has been speculation of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) coming together ahead of the BMC polls, which are expected to happen in October this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM writes to MEA after SL navy arrests 8 TN fishers
Rameswaram: Chief minister M K Stalin has sought immediate diplomatic intervention from external affairs minister S Jaishankar for the release of eight Rameswaram fishermen who were arrested by Sri Lankan navy in the early hours of Sunday. The eight were among fishermen in more than 300 boats which ventured out to sea from Rameswaram on Saturday. They were allegedly fishing near Talaimannar when they were apprehended for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), and their mechanised boat was seized. In a letter to Jaishankar, Stalin said such arrests, especially during the early days of the resumed fishing season, cause serious disruption to the lives of coastal communities. The CM called for proactive diplomatic efforts to prevent recurrence of such incidents. The arrested fishermen — S Sesu, 39, N Annamalai, 55, N Muneeswaran, 35, V Kalyanaraman, 48, U Selvam, 28, S Syed Ibrahim, 35, K Kanthavel, 67, and B Balamurugan, 24 —were taken to the Lankan naval base at Talaimannar and are expected to be handed over to the Sri Lankan fisheries department. The seized boat is owned by Pandityammal, wife of Sesu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo Fishermen association leader J R Jesu Raja said the fishermen did not deliberately cross into Sri Lankan waters. "This is the fourth time they have gone out since the ban ended. We want the Union govt to act decisively and not leave us to repeated protests," he said. Condemning the arrests, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss called for a structured bilateral fishing agreement, and criticised the Tamil Nadu govt for merely issuing letters to the Centre each time such incidents occur.
The Hindu
34 minutes ago
- The Hindu
In Tamil Nadu politics, too many players waiting in the wings
Though every election is important, the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are especially crucial, as they are likely to determine the future of many political parties in the State, including of the AIADMK, which is one of the two major Dravidian forces. Bipolarity in Tamil Nadu politics has traditionally kept the AIADMK and its rival, the DMK, alive and relevant, regardless of electoral outcomes. However, the losing party in 2026 may struggle to stay afloat, since many others are waiting in the wings. The DMK, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has managed to hold its alliance together and maintain a relatively stable front since 2017. Its partners — the Left parties and the Congress — have little choice but to stick with the DMK because of ideological and strategic reasons. The presence of the BJP prevents them from switching sides or experimenting with other alliances. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), led by Thol. Thirumavalavan, remains in the DMK-led alliance not only because of its opposition to the BJP, but also because any alliance that includes the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is unacceptable to it. Mr. Stalin has already started touring districts under the slogan 'Tamil Nadu under one front,' with the goal of enrolling 2 crore members. On the other hand, the AIADMK-led alliance remains in disarray. It is grappling with multiple issues, particularly of power-sharing after the elections. The BJP, driven by the single-minded agenda of breaking new ground in Tamil Nadu, often acts as if it leads the alliance and tries to dictate terms to the AIADMK. This has caused a lot of bitterness among the AIADMK rank and file. The PMK, a potential ally, is entangled in a family feud between its founder, S. Ramadoss, and his son Anbumani Ramadoss; this has created uncertainty about its political direction. No amount of persuasion has stopped Dr. Ramadoss from talking about internal disputes in public and projecting his son as his arch rival. Even if reconciliation occurs, the damage may be irreparable, as the war of words has already eroded unity in the second tier of leadership. As for the AIADMK, though former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is under pressure to forge a strong alliance to take on the DMK, he remains indecisive about reconciling with the faction led by another former Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam. In his calculations, V.K. Sasikala, the close aide of the late J. Jayalalithaa, and T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who leads his own party, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, do not seem to count. Mr. Palaniswami overlooks the fact that these factions still retain some support among a particular community in Tamil Nadu, even if that support is difficult to quantify. Both the AIADMK and the BJP are hoping that actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) will join them, although there have been no overtures from Mr. Vijay's side. Mr. Vijay aims to project himself as an alternative to the traditional political parties in Tamil Nadu. However, as of now, his party is no match to the DMK or the AIADMK in terms of organisational strength and financial clout. Mr. Vijay may garner a share of the vote, but is unlikely to emerge as a major challenge to either Dravidian party. While he is still young in politics, Mr. Vijay may fade into irrelevance if he fails to play his cards wisely. Another player is Seeman, the leader of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi, who has refused to align with any party. Seeking to mobilise voters on the Tamil nationalist plank, his party crossed the 8% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and now qualifies as a recognised State party under the Election Commission of India's guidelines. Mr. Seeman seems determined to fight the Assembly elections on his own, but he may find it difficult to stay relevant unless he wins seats. The overcrowded political landscape poses a serious challenge to both the DMK and AIADMK. Neither can afford to lose these elections. The DMK is attempting to capitalise on its record of fulfilling electoral promises and maintaining a cohesive alliance. The AIADMK, once a formidable force, has not yet mobilised effectively to take advantage of the anti-incumbency factor that even the best performing governments face. It is unclear whether anti-incumbency will benefit the AIADMK or Mr. Vijay. Even if Mr. Vijay succeeds, that may help the DMK, as it will prevent the AIADMK from gaining the edge that it desperately needs.
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Will replicate Guj's success stories: Delhi edu minister
Gandhinagar: Ashish Sood, Delhi minister for home, power, urban development, and education, said that the BJP-led Delhi state govt will adopt and replicate success stories of Gujarat's education system. He was speaking on Sunday, a day after his visit to Surat on Saturday. In Surat in connection with an urban development project, he also visited a municipal school where education is imparted using digital platforms. "Delhi should have been a model for the country in education, but when the BJP took over, there were just about 700 or 800 smart classrooms in govt schools in the national capital. We intend to roll out 7,000 smart classrooms in the coming months," the minister said on Sunday. Commenting on Gujarat's Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), a centralised project to monitor learning outcomes in govt schools, Sood said, "We will definitely adopt the concept of the VSK and implement it in Delhi with better ideas." tnn You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad
