Eknath Shinde Mocks Uddhav Thackeray's Alliance Bid with MNS, Calls It Desperation Ahead of Municipal Polls
Thane:
chief and Deputy CM
on Sunday mocked the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction (UBT) for trying to stitch up an alliance with the
ahead of municipal elections. He pointed out how the UBT - during the earlier MVA tenure- had dismissed the Raj Thackeray-led party as a "spent force."
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Shinde was speaking at an event inducting Nashik leader Vilas Shinde and supporters in Thane.
Shinde said, "When he (Uddhav) abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's ideologies in 2019 and aligned with ideologically opposed parties for power, real Sainiks started leaving. By the next elections, their (UBT) camp could be empty... The attrition in their party has apparently forced them to now desperately seek an alliance with the very party that they once looked down on."
Shinde also mocked Uddhav's recent use of a Nana Patekar dialogue during UBT's foundation day, saying, "His (Uddhav's) present political condition is more like the jailor played by actor Asrani in the cult film Sholay, where he orders his team to head in different directions, seemingly unaware he's left alone at the end."
Political observers note that the alliance between the Thackeray cousins could impact the political standing of Shinde and his Sena and its core Marathi voter base.
It could also soften his claims as the true heir to Balasaheb's political and ideological legacy.
Defending Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shinde criticised Thackeray's remarks against him, stating, "Shah fulfilled Balasaheb's key demands—Ram Mandir construction and Article 370 revocation… They (UBT) ignored this and rely on AI-generated videos of Balasaheb, which won't win them voters."
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