Shinde: Sena UBT abandoned Hindutva for Congress vote bank

Shinde was speaking at an event organised by the Shiv Sena led by him on the occasion of the party’s 58th foundation day of at Worli NSCI Dome.

The chief minister claimed that Uddhav Thackeray has forsaken Hindutva and avoids mentioning Hindu in his speeches to secure Congress’s votes.

Shinde asserted that Uddhav has lost the moral authority to use Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s name for votes.

Shinde termed the victory of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Lok Sabha polls as short-lived, comparing it to a “swelling that will go away in due course.”

“The victory is short-lived and this swelling (victory) will go away on its own in the upcoming elections. They are now even shying away from using the word Hindutva because they know they have to rely on the Congress’s vote bank,” Shinde claimed.

“We all know who voted for us and who voted for them in Mumbai. They are now getting the Congress’s votes, and hence we lost three seats in Mumbai. They have abandoned Hindutva and the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. Hence, they have not won a single seat in Konkan. They have been wiped out from there,” the chief minster added.

Shinde also highlighted the Shiv Sena’s victory in its bastions like Kalyan, Thane, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar constituencies, emphasising the party’s formidable presence and support base in the state.

While Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine out of 21 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured in seven out of 15 seats it contested in the state.

Shinde said that the victory in the Lok Sabha polls demonstrated that Sena voters are with his Shiv Sena and not with Sena UBT led by Thackeray.

Shinde further said that his relevance will also be evident in the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra.

“The people have accepted us. Our relevance is increasing, and we will win more seats in the upcoming polls. I will surely protect the trust that voters have shown in us,” Shinde said.

He also claimed that his Sena retained 14.50 per cent of the original 19 per cent vote share of the undivided Shiv Sena from the 2019 polls, while the remaining votes went to the Thackeray-led Sena.

During his speech, Shinde emphasised his commitment of preserving Shiv Sena’s stronghold, citing significant electoral victory. “We won firmly, not marginally. Shiv Sena voters trusted us, and I deeply thank and bow down to them,” he expressed.

Reflecting on past political moves, Shinde mentioned the uprising two years ago intended to free Shiv Sena from Congress’s influence and preserve Balasaheb’s ideas. “Today, the people have confirmed their decision,” he stated, criticising Uddhav Thackeray for being “allergic to Hinduism” and questioning his commitment to Hindu values.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister also addressed issues regarding Congress’s electoral performance and raised questions about the integrity of the voting process. “Congress contested 388 seats and won only 99. Should we then question if the EVMs were hacked?” he asked.

Shinde took a strong stance against Uddhav Thackeray, labelling his faction as a “fake party” and criticising their election strategies, including alleged support for anti-national elements. He condemned the glorification of Yakub Memon and doubts cast on the sacrifices of policemen in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Shinde reaffirmed Shiv Sena’s commitment to Hindu values and Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy, rejecting appeasement and calling for unity among Hindus. “Balasaheb Thackeray was never against the minority community, nor are we. Many Shiv Sena workers belong to minority communities,” he stated.

Shinde expressed confidence in Shiv Sena’s future and condemned opportunistic politics. “We are stronger and more united than ever,” he said

Shinde stressed the need to combat misinformation, drawing a comparison to Goebbels’ propagandistic tactics. “Lies should be refuted. We must tell people the truth and erase these falsehoods. We should all be determined to strengthen the Shiv Sena, uphold the thoughts of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb, maintain the pride of Hinduism, and defeat our opponents,” he said.

Addressing recent electoral issues, Shinde criticised the opposition’s false propaganda in the Lok Sabha elections. “The opposition created an atmosphere of fear among the poor and Dalits by falsely claiming that the constitution would be changed and reservations revoked. While we have struggled to counter this false narrative, elections can only be won once through deceit. The truth will prevail,” he said.