People of Maharashtra showed in assembly polls which Shiv Sena is real: Eknath Shinde

Ratnagiri, Feb 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena in the state, on Saturday said that in last year’s assembly elections, people showed which Shiv Sena was the real one.

Addressing a “thanks giving” rally in Ratnagiri aimed at celebrating the party’s impressive victory in the Konkan region, Shinde also attacked the opposition parties for blaming the Election Commission, Supreme Court, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and alleging discrepancies in the voters’ list for their electoral loss.

He attacked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), stating that it works for a family, while his Shiv Sena works for Maharashtra.

The opposition runs a fake narrative, but the Shiv Sena does positive work which is why people voted for it in the assembly polls, Shinde said.

The Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) registered a landslide victory in the assembly polls held in November 2024.

In the Lok Sabha elections (held months prior to that), the Shiv Sena got 2 lakh more votes than the Sena (UBT). In the assembly polls, Sena (UBT) contested 97 seats, but won only 20. The Shiv Sena fought 87 seats but won 60 seats, and 15 lakh more votes than Sena, Shinde said.

“Then tell me which Shiv Sena is real. People have shown which one is the real Shiv Sena that runs on the ideals of Bal Thackeray,” he said.

During the rally, former MLA of the undivided Shiv Sena Subhash Bane, who was with the Shiv Sena (UBT), joined the Shinde-led party.

“Some people blame the Election Commission, Supreme Court and EVMs for their loss. The EC and EVMs are good when you win, and are bad when you lose. Now you allege irregularities in the voters’ list,” he said.

Targeting Thackeray, Shinde said, “Leaders who work to expand the party are being cut to size (by Sena -UBT).”

Shinde assured that the welfare schemes launched by his government will not stop.

All these schemes were well-thought out before they were started, he added.