Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray proud to join hands with socialists, Congress, says CM Eknath Shinde at Dussehra rally

Pic/Sameer Abedi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. CM Eknath Shinde called Thackeray an "opportunist" and slammed him for bending in front of "socialists and the Congress".

During the Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan, CM Eknath Shinde hit out at Uddhav Thackeray's faction for joining hands with socialists and the Congress, instead of being proud of their Hindu identity.

While addressing the Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan, CM Eknath Shinde said that his party withdrew from the fight for Shivaji Park as the Dussehra rally venue as he wanted to maintain peace. He said that the real Shiv Sena is at Azad Maidan.

"Shiv Sainiks have come to Azad Maidan from across Maharashtra today, this is a saffron wave. I could have held the rally at Shivaji Park. But I am the head of the state and want to maintain peace. Last year, we held the rally at BKC. I told my people that for me any place where I can reiterate Balasaheb's thoughts is Shivtirth for me," said Shinde.

CM Eknath Shinde said that Uddhav Thackeray always wanted to become the Chief Minister but had hidden his real face for long. "He had sent two people to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar to tell him that he should be made the Chief Minister. He had taken the sage's avatar, but he was actually an opportunist," he said.

Earlier this month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the annual Dussehra rally will be organised at Azad Maidan instead of Shivaji Park.

Last year, Eknath Shinde led a group of Sena MLAs against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, resulting in MVA losing its majority in the state. This also led Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to step down as CM ahead of a floor test.

The new Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra won the floor test by a 164-99 margin, proving his government's majority and cementing his position as chief minister of the state. 164 votes were polled in favour of Shinde, while 99 votes were polled against the newly formed BJP-Shinde camp coalition.