Eknath Shinde targets Uddhav over Sena (UBT)-MNS bonhomie

Thane: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday launched a veiled attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over his party’s growing affinity with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by his cousin Raj Thackeray.

Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, was speaking at an event here to welcome Vilas Shinde, former Nashik chief of Sena (UBT), 30 sarpanchs and many former corporators to his party fold.

“A leader (Uddhav) is approaching a party (MNS) that he had cursed to the core in the past. His party has seen large-scale defections in recent times,” said Shinde.

Estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have said they will unite for the cause of the Marathi language, as their parties will stage a joint protest on July 5 against the “imposition” of Hindi and the state government’s three-language formula for Classes 1-5.

Shinde also expressed confidence that his party will win in Nashik in the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra.

The undivided Shiv Sena betrayed its founder Bal Thackeray and Hindutva when it joined hands with the Congress under the Maha Vikas Aghadi banner in 2019, said Shinde, who split the party with a rebellion in 2022 and subsequently got the party’s name and symbol.

He said former wrestler Chandrahar Patil, who had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Sangli on a Sena (UBT) ticket and joined the Shiv Sena recently, and 5,000 others will visit Kashmir to donate blood for soldiers in the Valley.