Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has claimed that 15 candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) approached him seeking the Shiv Sena symbol to contest the Delhi elections. However, Shinde turned down their requests, citing "yuti dharma," as his party is part of the Mahayuti alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra.
“A total of 15 AAP candidates had reached out to me. I thought that if the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol went to them, votes would be split between the BJP and Sena and others would benefit. So I declined," Shinde said at an event in Thane city on Sunday.
Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde said the need to honor “yuti dharma” (coalition commitment) and stated that he had instructed his MPs to campaign for BJP candidates in the Delhi assembly elections. Shinde, who celebrated his 61st birthday on Sunday, reiterated his stance on supporting the alliance.
The BJP dominated the Delhi assembly elections, securing 48 out of 70 seats, while the AAP managed only 22, with prominent leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia facing defeats. On his 61st birthday, Shinde shared that several prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, extended their wishes. “They greeted me as Eknath Shinde, not as Maharashtra’s deputy CM,” he remarked.