Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that only one Shiv Sena exists now, which is headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, taking a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray over vote bank politics.
Speaking at a public event in Mumbai, Shah said that earlier people had to refer to the Shinde-led faction separately, but now no faction remains, and there is only one Shiv Sena, which is led by Eknath Shinde.
Shah's remarks come amid the ongoing political tussle between the Shinde and Thackeray factions over the claim to the Shiv Sena party name and symbol. The Election Commission had earlier recognized the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena.
Taking a jibe at Uddhav Thackeray, Shah said that the Thackeray family was only interested in vote bank politics and had forgotten the core ideology of the party founded by Bal Thackeray.
“The Shiv Sena was founded by Balasaheb Thackeray to fight for the rights of the Marathi people. But now, some people are only concerned about their vote bank and not the welfare of the state,” Shah said.
He also praised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for his efforts in the development of Maharashtra and said that the state is progressing under his leadership.
The Union Minister's statement is expected to further escalate the political tension between the two Shiv Sena factions ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in the state.
