Maharashtra Assembly Election: Udhhav, Shinde Trade Barbs Over Shivaji Maharaj, 2022 Coup D'état

Playing a clip of his 2019 oath-taking as Maharashtra Chief Minister from Shivaji Park, Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday sent both a message and a warning to his rivals during his annual Dussehra address from the iconic Mumbai venue.

Meanwhile, just over 10 km away, at Azad Maidan, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde delivered his own Dussehra speech, comparing his former leader, Uddhav Thackeray, to Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, hinting at Muslim appeasement politics.

Photo Credit: PTI

The combative speeches come just weeks ahead of the Maharashtra polls, scheduled to take place before the end of November.

Reflecting on his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in June 2022, Shinde stated that he had liberated the real Shiv Sena from those who had betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals.

"Had the uprising not been carried out by us, true Shiv Sainiks would have been humiliated, and Maharashtra would have regressed by many years," said Shinde. He also accused the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of stalling various development projects, resulting in a debt increase of ₹17,000 crore for the state due to its arrogance.

Uddhav Thackeray, during his speech, referred to Shinde's Sena faction as a "duplicate."

"Ratan Tata once told me that JRD Tata trusted him after seeing his work, and then handed over his legacy. He said Balasaheb also chose you (Uddhav) after he found you trustworthy," Thackeray recounted, referencing a conversation with the iconic businessman who passed away this week, underscoring his claim to the Shiv Sena leadership.

Taking aim at his former ally, Thackeray criticised the BJP, stating it should be ashamed of calling itself "Bharatiya," likening it to the Kauravas and accusing the party of displaying arrogance.

He also slammed the ruling Mahayuti alliance for building a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj purely for electoral gains, noting that the statue collapsed just eight months after its construction. The statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023.

"This (Mahayuti government) only built the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue for votes, and that statue fell. But I want to tell you and promise you that when we come to power, I will build a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mandir in every district of Maharashtra, and around them, we will write the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Yes, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our God, and I will build temples. For them, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a vote bank, but for me, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is my God," Thackeray declared.