After Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray described Eknath Shinde as a contractual CM, the Maharashtra Chief Minister hit back at him in the Assembly. ustifying his move to rebel, Shinde said that he had taken a contract of taking forward (late Sena founder) Bal Thackeray’s ideals and ensuring the State’s development.“I have been called a ‘contractor CM.’ Yes, I am a contactor CM and I have taken a contract for ensuring Maharashtra’s development, a contract to make this State more prosperous and to give justice to the poor and the backward sections, and I have taken contract of taking Balasaheb’s [Uddhav’s father Bal Thackeray] ideals forward,” said Mr. Shinde.Alluding to the Uddhav camp’s frequent taunts that Mr. Shinde was nothing but “a puppet of the BJP” who repeatedly conferred with the BJP brass in Delhi, Mr. Shinde said the object of his visits was to ensure the State’s development.“Prime Minister Modi has assured that there will be no shortage of funds for Maharashtra,” said Shinde.
Eknath Shinde remarked, "We didn't betray the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. During elections, Balasaheb would say that Congress and NCP are our enemies. Don't ally with them. I will shut Shiv Sena if I have to ally with them. We were elected in an alliance with BJP after putting the photo of Balasaheb and Modi. We got a full majority. Who betrayed Balasaheb's ideology by forming an unnatural alliance? We are taking his ideology forward." "Today, I was referred to as a contractual CM. When (Narayan) Rane Saheb said something in a speech or press conference, you put him in jail. You didn't let a Union Minister eat. You directly threw him in jail. Why? Because he used abusive words for the CM. I am sitting here as per the country's Constitution, rules and law. We are sitting here after having proved our majority. Otherwise, the court would have removed us," he added. On Wednesday, Mr. Thackeray, the former CM, had dubbed Mr. Shinde a “CM by contract” while hitting out at the BJP for ‘stealing’ from other parties. Mr. Shinde’s intra-party revolt in June had toppled Mr. Thackeray’s Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, propelling the Shinde-led Sena faction and the BJP to power in the State.