In a pointed attack on Maharashtra’s fractured Shiv Sena dynamics, BJP spokesperson Prem Shukla revealed that the Thackeray brothers’ show of solidarity evaporated the moment elections concluded. During a press interaction in New Delhi, Shukla dissected key political maneuvers in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, zeroing in on MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s pivotal support to Eknath Shinde’s group.
‘Elections over, and so is the Thackeray unity mirage,’ Shukla quipped. He highlighted Raj’s open backing of the ‘genuine Shiv Sena’ in Dombivli-Kalyan, interpreting it as a stamp of approval for Shinde as the rightful successor to Bal Thackeray’s legacy. A former MNS MLA’s confession that the support was cleared with Raj himself adds weight to this narrative, Shukla noted.
Uddhav’s faction, according to Shukla, is willfully blind to these public endorsements. This revelation follows MNS’s formal pledge to back Mahayuti for the Kalyan-Dombivli mayor post. Recall that BJP-led Mahayuti triumphed in most of Maharashtra’s 29 municipal polls held on January 15, with results out on January 16.
Shukla also tackled the Shankaracharya controversy, slamming opposition hypocrisy on Sanatan Dharma. He charged that leaders who historically unleashed bullets on kar sevaks are now posing as defenders, even aligning with Swami Avimukteshwaranand amid reported assaults. BJP, he stressed, remains Sanatan’s unwavering guardian.
These comments signal escalating tensions in Maharashtra’s power corridors, where post-election realignments could reshape alliances ahead of bigger battles.