NEW DELHI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has once again sent a strong message to his political opponents and allies alike, warning them not to underestimate him. Reflecting on his political journey and the 2022 rebellion that reshaped the state’s leadership, Shinde asserted that he is not just any party worker but a disciple of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and his mentor Anand Dighe.
“I have said this earlier too—those who took me lightly… I am a worker, but a worker of Balasaheb and Dighe Saheb, so everyone should treat me in that way,” Shinde told reporters. “When they took me lightly, I overturned the government in 2022 and brought the government of people’s choice.”
Shinde’s rebellion had led to a vertical split in the Shiv Sena, with a majority of MLAs siding with him, ultimately resulting in the collapse of Uddhav Thackeray’s government. His alliance with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis secured them a dominant position in the state, a feat he proudly referenced. “Back then, I had said in my first speech in the Assembly that I and Devendra Fadnavis will win more than 200 seats, and we got 232 seats,” he said. “So, ‘don’t take me lightly’—those who need to understand this signal should understand it.”
Meanwhile, at the press conference in Nagpur, Eknath Shinde strongly criticised the Shiv Sena-UBT saying that those leaders who have left Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts and those pushing good people out of the party were pushed back by the people in the Assembly elections and made to stay at home forever.
“However, Shiv Sena is the one that carries forward the thoughts of Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe. Therefore, leaders, office bearers and activists of different parties from across the state are joining Shiv Sena,” he added.
On the email threat that he received, the Maharashtra Deputy CM said: “I am a worker of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. Dance bars were closed when Anand Dighe was there. There were many threats at that time too. When I was the Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, Maoists gave threats, but the Gadchiroli police did the job of curbing the LWE menace. I am not afraid of threats… I am a person who remains strong.”
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police arrested two suspects—Mangesh Achyutrao Wayal (35) and Abhay Gajanan Shingane (22)—from Buldhana in connection with the threat email. Investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the threat.
