In a veiled attack at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday termed him as the one who conspired against the leaders of his own party despite being its chief. Shinde added that the Mahayuti will win the upcoming local body polls and told workers to start working by setting aside any differences. "No where in the world is there a party whose chief wanted to end the careers of its own leaders. Have you ever seen a party president who conspires against his own party leaders? I don't think his shadow will even remain with him after the local body elections, given the way people are leaving him," said Shinde without naming Thackeray. He was addressing Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally at Goregaon's Nesco ground. Shinde, in his 53-minute speech, continued attacking his former boss Uddhav Thackeray. "Now that the Mumbai elections are approaching, you will start talking about the pride of Mumbai, Marathi language and Marathi people going out of Mumbai. But let me tell you that nobody can ever throw Marathi people out of Mumbai," he said, without naming Thackeray. The former CM said that after winning the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, it was time to win all local body polls including Mumbai as a Mahayuti ally. "You (workers) don't have to worry about who is allying with whom or mending differences. We can take care of that. People bother only about the work done," he said. "Now, I ask you to start working by setting all differences aside. I always behave like a worker and you should also start working like me," he added. "Maharashtra is facing floods, so I have told party workers from Marathwada to remain there and help those in need. The government stands with the farmers and in the cabinet, we decided to extend a helping hand without any conditions. I promise that the farmers will get every possible help before Diwali and it will not be a black Diwali," he said. Announcing that the Shiv Sena will extend all possible help to farmers who had planned weddings but are now in financial distress, Shinde said that the party will pay for those marriages from its own pocket. He also announced celebrating 2026 as the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray. Commenting on the controversy over his leaders' photos being pasted on relief material, Shinde said, "Don't look at photos. Check the help we have sent. We first sent the relief material. Then I decided to visit. Some people went without anything and returned only to criticise," he said about Uddhav Thackeray without naming him, adding that while people were sitting in mud, a red carpet was put for others. Claiming that Thackeray surrendered before the Congress, Shinde said that when he goes to Delhi to seek funds for Maharashtra, he also goes to bow before the Congress' high command. "How can you even criticise PM Narendra Modi who gave so much to Maharashtra? How can you attack the PM who taught Pakistan a befitting lesson? It is the PM who fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's wish of building Ram temple in Ayodhya," he said. Shinde spoke about his achievements during his tenure as the Chief Minister and said that he was always ready to give to people with open arms. "If I am to count the schemes and benefits I have extended, then even one day will not be enough," he said. "When I became the Chief Minister, I lifted all stays on developmental projects, schemes and festivals. I worked so hard in the last two and half years. Now, the team under Devendra Fadnavis is working equally hard," said Shinde. Shinde praised the central government for giving financial aid to Maharashtra and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given more to the state since 2014 than what it received in the 70 years before that.
