Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday asserted his party’s strong support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming vice-presidential elections.
Shinde, who is currently on a visit to Delhi, made the announcement after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with party MPs. Shinde and his family will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the media later, Shinde congratulated Shah for his record-breaking tenure. “Amit Shah ji has become the first home minister in the country’s history to serve for 2,258 consecutive days. We met him to extend our greetings. He is a decisive and efficient leader who has fulfilled the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray by abrogating Article 370, effectively cracked down on terrorism through Operation Mahadev, and led efforts against Naxalism. His contributions to the cooperative sector and national development are exemplary,” Shinde said.
Commenting on the Shiv Sena’s long-standing alliance with the BJP, Shinde stated, “Even before the formal formation of the NDA, Shiv Sena and BJP have shared a historic alliance. Ours is the oldest and most trusted partnership within the NDA. This year marks 25 years of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance envisioned by Balasaheb Thackeray.”
He added that Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde represented the party in the NDA’s meeting held on Tuesday. “Shiv Sena will extend full support to the NDA candidate in the vice-presidential election,” Shinde reiterated.
He also confirmed that the Mahayuti alliance would contest the upcoming local body elections collectively. “Just as we won the Assembly elections together, we will also fight the local body polls as Mahayuti partners,” he said.
On the issue of the 36-year-old elephant, Madhuri, which was relocated to a Vantara centre in Gujarat from a Jain Math in Maharashtra following a court order, sparking protests, Shinde said the state government would file a review petition in the Supreme Court. “The government respects public sentiment on this matter,” he said, adding that both the state and the Vantara group would be parties to the case.
In what appeared to be a veiled jibe at the Opposition, which has been alleging that Shinde has been holding secret meetings with BJP leaders in Delhi, Shinde remarked, “We are here to meet MPs and attend the session. We do not operate in secrecy.”
