The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday reminded Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of his “promise to leave politics” if any of the rebel MLAs, who supported him during the Shiv Sena split in 2022, lost in the state assembly elections.
In an article published in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction pointed out that five of the 40 rebel MLAs had lost their seats in the recent assembly elections. The losing MLAs are Sada Sarvankar from Mahim, Yamini Jadhav from Byculla, Shahaji Bapu Patil from Sangola, Sanjay Raymulkar from Mehkar, and Dnyanraj Chowgule from Umarga.
This reminder comes amid growing calls within Shinde’s faction for him to continue as chief minister, with several leaders expressing their support for his leadership. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Naresh Mhaske cited the political scenario in Bihar as an example, suggesting that Shinde should continue as chief minister, much like BJP supported Nitish Kumar’s leadership in Bihar despite the JD(U)’s lower seat count.
Mhaske remarked, “We feel Shinde should be the chief minister, just like in Bihar where BJP did not focus on numbers but still made JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the CM. Senior leaders of the Mahayuti (in Maharashtra) will ultimately decide.”
Support for Shinde’s continuation as chief minister was also echoed by Maharashtra Minister and Shinde faction member, Deepak Kesarkar. He told reporters on Sunday that the MLAs of Shinde’s faction felt Shinde should remain in office, noting the Mahayuti’s strong performance in the elections. “Under his leadership, the Mahayuti worked very well and performed spectacularly in the polls,” Kesarkar added, stating that the final decision would rest with the Mahayuti partners.
Background on Eknath Shinde’s Rebellion
Shinde, previously a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, rebelled against the leadership of then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in 2022. Shinde, along with 39 other MLAs, flew to Surat and Guwahati—both BJP-ruled states—to initiate discussions with the BJP, which eventually led to his becoming chief minister with BJP’s backing.
In the November 20, 2024, assembly elections, Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena won 57 of the 87 seats it contested. The Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, triumphed in the state, securing 132 seats for the BJP and 41 for the NCP. Meanwhile, the opposition MVA was decisively defeated, with Congress winning 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) securing 20, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP getting just 10 seats.
