Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 10: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that the reunion of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray is “good for democracy,” but underlined that public support lies with leaders who actively work for people’s welfare, not just legacy or family names.
In an interview to PTI, Shinde pointed out the irony of the Thackeray cousins coming together after years of political estrangement, recalling that Raj was once expelled from the Shiv Sena and sidelined by Uddhav.
“The same people who once questioned Raj’s influence are now reaching out to him. It’s their choice. But voters support performance, not surnames,” Shinde said.
In a pointed dig at Uddhav Thackeray, he remarked, “People support those who work. They make those who prefer to sit at home actually sit at home.”
Shinde, who toppled Uddhav’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2022 by taking a majority of Shiv Sena legislators with him, reiterated that Thackeray had abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s Hindutva legacy by aligning with the Congress and NCP.
The Thackeray cousins recently appeared on stage together in Mumbai during a rally opposing the now-reversed three-language policy in schools — an event seen as politically significant ahead of the Mumbai civic polls, which are critical for Uddhav after his party's poor showing in the last assembly elections.
Shinde, however, maintained he isn’t opposed to any coalition, saying, “Anyone can form alliances in democracy.” But he stressed that during his tenure, several key decisions were taken for the development of Mumbai and Maharashtra in partnership with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Responding to Uddhav's repeated use of the term "gaddar" (traitor), Shinde hit back: “That label fits him better. In 2019, people voted for the BJP-Sena alliance, and he betrayed that mandate by joining hands with Congress and NCP.”
He concluded that voters punished Uddhav for this in the 2024 assembly elections, adding that political legitimacy comes from action — not heritage.