Maha CM Eknath Shinde taunts Uddhav Thackeray says need to keep good relations with Centre

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a swipe at his former leader Uddhav Thackeray by stating good relations have to be maintained with the Centre to get development funds, and work gets done on the ground and not online or from home.

Shinde said one needed to keep ego aside for the state, a swipe at Thackeray, who as chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation between 2019 and 2022, often sparred with the Narendra Modi government.

Stressing it is important to have good working relations with the Centre to fuel growth in the state, Shinde said, To achieve growth, one needs to get on the field. You can't get things done online or through Facebook. A chief minister has to keep ego aside when dealing with the Centre to get funds for development.

The Bharatiya Janata Party would routinely accuse Thackeray of ruling from his private residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra in the metropolis and not undertaking tours to the districts, despite the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

Queried on the Election Commission choosing his faction as the real Shiv Sena and giving it the bow and arrow symbol, Shinde said, The Shiv Sena is founded by Balasaheb Thackeray. Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs, MPs, (former) corporators are with me. Without naming Uddhav Thackeray, the CM said the former ditched the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray in the lust for power.

The Shiv Sena ideology faced betrayal when you (Uddhav) formed government with Congress and NCP, which Balasaheb had told you to keep at arm's length, Shinde said.