Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has launched a sharp political attack on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his faction, revisiting the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and the electoral fallout that followed.
Speaking on the political developments after the split, Thackeray said the breakaway group weakened the original party and created confusion among voters during elections.
He said, “My government was brought down after defectors broke away with 40 MLAs. In the subsequent election, they contested with a new symbol while using Balasaheb’s image, which created some confusion among voters. But I would say they are a party without a father, they keep changing their political patron, one in Delhi, another elsewhere. I contested the election with a new symbol, drawing strength from my father’s legacy.”
Thackeray’s remarks come amid continuing political friction between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Shinde-led faction, both of which claim legitimacy over the original Shiv Sena legacy founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.
The comments also reflect ongoing attempts by both sides to assert political and emotional ownership of the party’s legacy, particularly ahead of future electoral battles in Maharashtra.
