Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of deserting former ally Devendra Fadnavis after the 2019 assembly polls.
While addressing in the Legislative Council during the course of a debate on the Opposition's Last Week Motion, Shinde avoided citing Thackeray directly, but hinted at betrayal through sharp observations. He alleged that after the unsegregated Shiv Sena and the BJP together won a majority in the 2019 election, Fadnavis placed "40-50 calls" to his then partner — only to get no response.
"Maharashtra never witnessed a chameleon changing colors as quickly. He parted ways with those he previously considered lowly," Shinde told PTI, taking a subtle dig at Thackeray's move to align with the Congress and NCP after his split from the BJP.
Looking back on previous political collaboration, Shinde remarked that it was only at his insistence that Fadnavis had in 2017 consented to having the Shiv Sena claim the Mumbai mayor's position, even though the Sena had won only two more seats than the BJP (84 to 82) in the municipal polls.
"But he (Thackeray) betrayed Fadnavis in 2019 (by walking out of the alliance)," Shinde added, underlining a political change of heart that continues to ring out in state politics.
He also remembered the political crisis in 2022 when he, and other rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, stayed in Guwahati after they rebelled against Thackeray's leadership. Shinde accused Thackeray of having contacted him to reconcile during that impasse — while at the same time asking BJP leaders in Delhi not to give support to the rebel group.
Refocusing on cultural issues, Shinde condemned Thackeray for what he termed politically driven choices. Following the death of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, the government led by Thackeray had proposed establishing a music school in her honor. But Shinde alleged that the project was abandoned after Mangeshkar family honored Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award — an act that according to reports infuriated Thackeray.
"Whenever he became chief minister in 2022," Shinde supplemented, "he ensured that the project of the music school was revived and executed."
The remarks were made a day after Uddhav Thackeray has had an audience with Chief Minister Shinde, hinting at political undertones between factions. Significantly enough, this spoken attack was preceded by a light-hearted comment in the Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, inviting Thackeray in jest to join the ruling coalition.
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