In the midst of the Maharashtra assembly elections, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made a bold statement. In an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak, he clarified that he is not in the race for Maharashtra's Chief Minister position, but assured that the CM will indeed be from Mahayuti. During this conversation, he also took a strong stand against Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress party. CM Shinde remarked that the Congress's strategy is to 'divide and rule'. He questioned when Rahul Gandhi would acknowledge Balasaheb as the emperor of Hindu hearts?
CM Eknath Shinde stated that Balasaheb Thackeray always insisted that he would never let his party become Congress. Yet, Uddhav Thackeray allied with Congress driven by personal interest and the ambition to become Chief Minister. They believed a government couldn't be formed without them. Uddhav Thackeray betrayed the BJP according to Shinde.
CM Shinde emphasized support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan 'Ek hai to Safe hai'. Regarding Rahul Gandhi's statement on Balasaheb's death anniversary, CM Shinde expressed that it's commendable, but wondered why such sentiments weren't expressed sooner. He challenged Gandhi to truly honor Balasaheb as the emperor of Hindu hearts if he dared.
'Uddhav betrayed Balasaheb's ideology'
Referring to Uddhav Thackeray, CM Shinde said if Balasaheb Thackeray were alive today, he would tell Uddhav to go into the forest and photograph wildlife. Concerning Uddhav's claim that BJP promised him a two-and-a-half year tenure as CM, Shinde rebuffed it as a tactic that Uddhav exploited, thus deceiving the people of Maharashtra and betraying Balasaheb's ideals to form the government.
'Uddhav tied the Shiv Sena symbol to Congress'
Attacking Uddhav, Shinde said he abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals and tied the Shiv Sena's bow and arrow symbol to Congress's neck. He questioned the loyalty behind such decisions, stressing that they follow Balasaheb's ideals, unlike Uddhav, who allied with those who once insulted Balasaheb. How is this loyalty?
