Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde issued a stern warning to political rivals on Friday, cautioning them against underestimating his party's strength in the upcoming municipal corporation elections for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Shinde emphasized that contesting the polls independently does not signify weakness.
A Warning Against "Cowardly Politics"
Addressing his first campaign rallies for both civic bodies, Shinde referred to a recent incident where unidentified individuals allegedly pelted stones at the vehicle of the party's Pune city unit chief and candidate, Pramod Bhangire. Shinde directly warned opposition members to refrain from such tactics. "I am giving a warning to all those in the opposition not to indulge in this kind of cowardly politics," he declared at rallies in Katraj, Kasba Peth, and Ravet.
He asserted that such acts of intimidation would not deter his party's workers. "If you think that our members would get scared by such incidents, you are wrong. We are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks who know how to take on the opposition," Shinde stated, invoking the party's founder.
Going Solo on Hindutva Ideology
The deputy CM's remarks come in the backdrop of failed alliance talks between the two Mahayuti partners, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena. Soon after the polls were declared, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced an alliance for most civic bodies, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). However, the negotiations ultimately broke down, leading both parties to contest independently.
Shinde clarified that the decision to go solo was a strategic one and rooted in principle. "Our party runs on the ideology of Hindutva, and Balasaheb Thackeray taught us how to fight. So, I am warning the opposition not to take Shiv Sena lightly only because we are going solo in these municipal corporations," he explained.
Dig at MVA, Assurance on Mahayuti Unity
Shinde also took a swipe at the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. He claimed that while the MVA made tall claims about putting up a strong fight, its leadership was absent during recent municipal council and nagar panchayat elections. "The MVA leadership did not even join the campaign. They left party workers to contest on their own," he alleged.
In contrast, he portrayed the Mahayuti as a cohesive and resilient alliance. He highlighted that after a poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the Mahayuti partners fought back unitedly to secure a massive victory in the subsequent Maharashtra assembly polls. "Mahayuti members are not like MVA. Though we (Mahayuti partners) are contesting independently in some civic bodies, the alliance will continue to stay together," Shinde added, assuring voters of the coalition's underlying unity despite the current electoral separation in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.
