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The political landscape of Maharashtra has been in a state of flux since the dramatic split within the Shiv Sena, leading to the formation of a new government under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This split, which saw Shinde and his faction break away from the party led by Uddhav Thackeray, has been the subject of intense scrutiny and debate. In a recent speech at the Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally in Mumbai, Shinde took aim at his former party leader, claiming that his camp had liberated the Shiv Sena from those who had betrayed the ideals of its founder, Balasaheb Thackeray.
Shinde's address was laced with pointed criticism of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the coalition that Uddhav Thackeray had led before the split. He argued that the removal of the MVA government had saved Maharashtra from falling behind. He pointed to the durability of his government, noting that it had completed two years despite predictions that it would collapse within months. This assertion was likely intended to bolster the credibility of his leadership and to portray the Thackeray-led faction as incapable of effectively governing.
Shinde also sought to downplay the electoral success of the MVA in the recent Lok Sabha elections, characterizing it as an accidental outcome that would not be replicated in the upcoming state assembly polls. He went further by drawing a parallel between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the AIMIM, a party known for its focus on Muslim voters, suggesting that the UBT was engaging in similar politics of appeasement. This tactic, while likely to resonate with certain sections of the electorate, carries the risk of further polarizing the political discourse in Maharashtra.