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Maharashtra ministers on Monday welcomed the joining of six Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, asserting that the party was expanding under Shinde's leadership and would emerge as the only Shiv Sena in the future.
Reacting to the political development, Maharashtra Minister Dadaji Bhuse praised Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's leadership and said, "We have seen the way Eknath Shinde is taking the state ahead, he worries about each and every worker... We welcome the workers who want to join Shiv Sena." Maharashtra Minister Ashish Jaiswal said the development reflected growing support for the Shinde-led faction. "The future will have only one Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, as said by Amit Shah," he said. Responding to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's allegations that money played a role in the defections, Jaiswal rejected the charge. "Had it been due to money, who has more money than Uddhav Thackeray himself? Did Sanjay Raut keep a cashier? Our party works through democratic values... Even the court accepted that Eknath Shinde's faction is the original Shiv Sena," he said. Furthermore, Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam criticised Uddhav Thackeray and said he should introspect on his own policies while speaking about farmers. "How much NIDHI was given to the farmers while Uddhav Thackeray was the CM?... He should also think that he implemented the same policies," Kadam said. He also took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT)'s mouthpiece Saamna, saying, "People have stopped reading it. Saamna hasn't been the same since Balasaheb passed away. Back then, a towering leader like Balasaheb himself oversaw and guided matters; the decisions on which issues to raise were his alone. That is not the case anymore. In my opinion, the stance currently being adopted does not have the public's approval." The reactions came after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai on Monday. The MPs who joined the Shinde faction are Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar. Addressing a press conference earlier, Shinde termed the development the "second phase" of the 2022 political revolt that split the Shiv Sena. "Today, we welcome all these six kattar Shivsainik MPs into the original Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. In 2022, we carried out a revolt when 40 MLAs joined us, and that was to save the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb. This is the second phase of that same movement," Shinde said. He asserted that the MPs had joined the party for the development of their constituencies and not for personal gains. "All these people have come with us not for their personal interest or benefit but have come for the betterment of their constituency," he added. Taking a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Shinde said, "Today, six MPs have joined us. So we have three Sanjays here with us... When we have Sanjay here, no need to talk about any other Sanjay." Shinde also said that the 2022 revolt had received public approval, pointing out that the Shiv Sena's strength in the Maharashtra Assembly increased from 40 MLAs at the time of the split to 60 after the elections. (ANI)
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