Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday hit out at Uddhav camp after senior MLC Sachin Ahir joined his Shiv Sena and filed nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on behalf of the Mahayuti alliance. Welcoming Ahir into the party, Shinde likened his political move to a masterstroke on the cricket field.

“Today Sachin Ahir played a shot just like Sachin Tendulkar. He is an important leader. Today, he has filled both the Deputy Chairman’s nomination form and the Mahayuti form,” Shinde said.

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Sending out his strongest political message of the day, Shinde dismissed allegations that his party survives on defections and instead projected the Shiv Sena as an expanding political force.

“We do not believe in breaking people. We believe in bringing people together. We are working to strengthen the Shiv Sena,” he said.

Referring to the steady stream of leaders joining his camp, Shinde said the reasons behind the shift were evident. “Why are people coming to Shiv Sena? They themselves have answered that question,” he remarked.

Recalls 2022 rebellion, says June 30 is historic

Shinde also used the occasion to revisit the events of 2022, pointing out that June 30 marked the anniversary of his swearing-in as Maharashtra Chief Minister. He said the decision taken in 2022 had paved the way for a stable government that has worked jointly with the Centre to accelerate Maharashtra’s development.

“With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support at the Centre, the Centre and the State are running a double-engine government,” he said.

Shinde further alleged that the Mahayuti government should have been formed after the 2019 Assembly elections itself. Speaking in Hindi, he said it was a coincidence that he took oath on June 30, 2022, but claimed the people’s mandate had been betrayed in 2019.

“The Mahayuti Government should have come to power in 2019 itself. But the people’s mandate and Devendra Fadnavis were stabbed in the back when Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress, abandoning Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology,” Shinde alleged.

He further dismissed Uddhav Thackeray’s criticism, calling his reactions “crocodile tears”, while adding that Devendra Fadnavis understood the political situation well. When asked whether he remained in touch with legislators from the Opposition camp, Shinde responded with a smile. “I make everything foolproof. If I reveal everything today, what will remain as tomorrow’s breaking news?” he quipped.

He also insisted that the Mahayuti Government was not driven by electoral calculations. “We do not work by looking at elections. There is still time for the next polls,” he said. Amid the political exchanges, Shinde struck a lighter note while praising Ahir’s versatility. “Sachin Ahir can handle both batting and bowling,” he joked.

Ahir responded with a smile, saying, “I can handle the googly as well.”

Speaking after joining the Shiv Sena, Sachin Ahir thanked Eknath Shinde for entrusting him with the Deputy Chairman’s candidature. He acknowledged that his decision would trigger political reactions but said he had always discharged every responsibility with sincerity.

“People will say different things. I carried out every responsibility given to me by Uddhav ji and Aaditya ji honestly,” Ahir said, adding that “some people believe only they matter.”

The development comes as the latest political gain for the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which has witnessed a series of leaders shifting to its fold in recent weeks, further consolidating the ruling Mahayuti alliance.