Mumbai: In a surprising political development, two bitter rivals in Maharashtra politics—the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)—have come together in Barshi for the district council elections to jointly contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The unexpected alliance has raised eyebrows across the state, prompting Shiv Sena UBT leaders to clarify their stand. Solapur district contact chief (Sampark Pramukh) of UBT, Sushma Andhare, on Sunday stated that the Barshi decision was not taken by the party organisation but was an independent call by the local MLA, based on his own discretion.
Party denial
Clarifying the party’s position, Andhare said, “The Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership’s stand is clear—the Barshi decision is not a party decision. It has been taken by the local MLA according to his own judgment. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray has informed me that he will personally speak to the concerned MLAs. We are fighting alone, and wherever there is a fight to defeat the BJP, we stand with those forces. The Barshi alliance is not our alliance.”
She added that if required, she would decide on her role in Barshi only after discussing the matter with the party leadership.
Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, Andhare said the party was far from being “clean” and accused it of relying heavily on money power. “The BJP has abundant money and muscle power, but we have greater mental strength to fight them,” she asserted.
BJP attack
On the issue of leaders leaving Shiv Sena and joining the BJP, Andhare remarked that Uddhav Thackeray cannot be physically present everywhere, adding that district-level representatives have been appointed to manage responsibilities. “If they fail to carry out their duties, action will begin from today,” she warned.
Andhare further alleged that while the BJP “steals leaders,” Shiv Sena “creates leaders.” Emphasising the party’s ideology, she said Shiv Sena follows a path of 20 per cent politics and 80 per cent social work and will continue to fight on those principles. She also took a dig at Guardian Minister and BJP leader Jaykumar Gore, stating that Solapur was once a Congress stronghold before the BJP overtook it.
AIMIM remark reply
Commenting on AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel’s statement about turning Maharashtra ‘green’, Andhare said she had respect for him but had no interest in what she termed a “scripted game.” She countered the remark by saying, “The BJP’s flag itself has saffron and green. Even the lotus symbol has a green stem. Is that green colour AIMIM’s?” she questioned.
The Barshi alliance has thus triggered fresh political debate in Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena (UBT) clearly distancing itself from the local arrangement while reiterating its primary focus on defeating the BJP.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
