Eknath Shinde Tells Shiv Sena Leaders That He Was 'Hesitant' to Join Mahayuti Govt

In a private meeting with party functionaries on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde expressed that he was initially hesitant to join the Mahayuti government.

He revealed he accepted the Deputy Chief Minister's position only because party leaders insisted, according to sources within the party, reported Hindustan Times.

The meeting, held as part of the first round of preparations for the upcoming civic elections, included sitting and former MPs, MLAs, and ex-corporators.

The Shiv Sena plans to establish a steering committee for the BMC elections, highlighting Shinde's accomplishments during his tenure as Chief Minister.

Key achievements such as the inauguration of the Atal Setu, parts of the coastal road, various metro routes, and the 'Aapla Dawakhana' initiative will be showcased.

During the meeting, Shinde disclosed that while many from Shiv Sena (UBT) were willing to join him, he limited such entries to prioritise tickets for his party workers in the BMC polls.

He cited the example of Ashok Patil, who secured a win in the Bhandup assembly constituency despite the presence of several corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT).

Shinde also mentioned that the party has many former corporators from the 2017-2022 batch and nearly 30 from the 2012-2017 batch, strengthening the Shiv Sena's position. He urged party members to refrain from making negative comments about other Mahayuti allies.

Speaking to the media, Shinde stated, "We have our ear to the ground, and our agenda is centred around development. Our Sena works on the thoughts of Balasaheb Thackeray. Mahayuti works as a team. People have voted for us. Instead of focusing on what we can get, we have to focus on what we can give Mumbaikars."