Eknath Shinde-Uddhav Thackeray Duel Features Tigers, Dogs And Sholay

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray marked the Shiv Sena's 60th foundation day with contrasting claims. One spoke of tigers, lions, barking dogs and a political "trailer" whose full picture was yet to unfold. The other delivered an emotional appeal to party workers, offering to step down if they no longer had faith in him while warning against allowing the Shiv Sena to fall into the hands of "thieves and traitors".

This duelling comes against the backdrop of a fresh crisis for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs expected to join the rival Shiv Sena led by Shinde. This move by the MPs threatens to deepen a split that first reshaped Maharashtra politics in 2022 when Shinde led a rebellion against Thackeray, eventually taking control of the party name and its iconic bow-and-arrow symbol.

Eknath Shinde's Messaging

Addressing party workers in Mumbai, Shinde sought to portray his faction as the rightful inheritor of Bal Thackeray's political legacy.

"This is only a trailer. The movie is yet to come. Today, a tiger stands before you. Some dogs keep barking. Tomorrow and the day after, they will keep barking as well. Let me tell you something: dogs bark in packs, but a lion comes alone. Dogs keep barking while the tiger hunts. Dogs keep barking, while the tiger roars. This is Shiv Sena. This is the Shiv Sena. And today, this Shiv Sena can be seen standing strong in Maharashtra," Shinde claimed. 

READ | Sharad Pawar vs Indira Gandhi To Shiv Sena Now: Maharashtra's History Of Defections

Without directly naming Thackeray, Shinde questioned why leaders and workers were leaving the rival faction.

"Some people keep saying, 'If anyone wants to leave, let them leave freely.' Look at them - they keep barking every day. Fine, let them go. But now everyone seems to be leaving. Why are they leaving? Do some self-examination and introspection," he said. 

Shinde invoked a well-known line from the Hindi film 'Sholay', to take a dig at his opponents. 

"Do you remember Asrani's dialogue from the movie 'Sholay'? 'Half of you go here, half of you go there, and the rest follow me.' But who is behind him? Nobody. They are left only with forks and spoons. How can such a party survive?" he asked. 

He followed it up with another taunt.

"There is no ground beneath your feet, there is no ground beneath your feet. The amazing thing is that you still don't realise it," Shinde claimed. 

Throughout his speech, Shinde sought to answer one of the central questions that has haunted the Shiv Sena since its split -- who represents Bal Thackeray's true political legacy.

"Balasaheb Thackeray's true heirs are my Shiv Sainiks. Succession is not determined by blood relations but by ideology. Shiv Sena is not a piece of land; it is the ideology of millions of people," Shinde claimed. 

The Deputy Chief Minister also defended the decision he took in 2022 when he broke away from Uddhav Thackeray and aligned with the BJP. According to Shinde, opponents had predicted political disaster and claimed he would return to his village and take up farming. Instead, he argued, his faction had expanded its strength in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Uddhav Thackeray's Position

Around the same time, Uddhav Thackeray took the stage before his own supporters and delivered a different address.

"My soul is truly hurting today," he said. "If any of you feel that I am unworthy of this position, then tell me directly to my face. I am ready to step down from this post right now."

The former Maharashtra chief minister insisted that he had no attachment to power or office.

"I have only one firm resolve, only one insistence: this Shiv Sena -- which is more precious than gold, must never be allowed to fall into the hands of thieves and traitors through the back door," he said. "If there is any true Shiv Sainik among you who deserves to lead, then let him come forward. I will wholeheartedly welcome it and extend my full support. I have no obsession with any post, nor any hunger for power. I am prepared to relinquish the leadership of the party even today," he added. 

The comments were Thackeray's first major response to reports that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were preparing to switch sides.

The six MPs -- Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar --  did not attend a parliamentary party meeting convened by Thackeray on Thursday, reinforcing expectations of a formal break.