Shinde Mocks Uddhav for Colour-Shifting Politics in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday (July 18, 2025) lashed out at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of betraying his former ally Devendra Fadnavis during the 2019 political alliance.

Responding to the Opposition's Last week's Motion in the Legislative Council, Eknath Shinde, without directly naming Uddhav Thackeray, said that after the undivided Shiv Sena-BJP alliance secured a majority in the 2019 Assembly elections, Devendra Fadnavis made “40–50 calls” to his then ally. However, there was no response to those calls, Shinde pointedly remarked.

“Maharashtra has never witnessed a chameleon change colours so swiftly,” said Eknath Shinde, taking a veiled dig at Uddhav Thackeray for aligning with the Congress after breaking ties with the BJP. “He chose to side with those he once looked down upon,” Shinde added.

Recalling the 2017 Mumbai civic polls, Shinde said it was at his own request that Devendra Fadnavis agreed to let the Shiv Sena have the mayor’s post, even though the Sena had only a narrow lead—84 seats to the BJP’s 82.

“But despite that gesture, he (Thackeray) betrayed Mr. Fadnavis in 2019 by walking out of the alliance,” Shinde said.

Eknath Shinde also claimed that during the 2022 political crisis, when he and the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were camped in Guwahati after revolting against Uddhav Thackeray, the former chief minister reached out to him for reconciliation. Simultaneously, Shinde alleged, Thackeray was urging the BJP leadership in Delhi not to support the rebel faction.

Shinde further said that the Thackeray-led government had announced plans to set up a music school in honour of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar after her death. However, according to Shinde, Thackeray scrapped the plan after the Mangeshkar family conferred the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an act that reportedly left him upset.

Mr. Shinde added that after taking over as Chief Minister in 2022, he revived and initiated the establishment of the music school in Lata Mangeshkar’s name.

Notably, Shinde’s sharp reminder of Uddhav Thackeray’s “betrayal” of Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP in 2019 came just a day after the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief met with the Maharashtra Chief Minister.

A day earlier, in a light-hearted remark in the Legislative House, Devendra Fadnavis had invited Mr. Thackeray to “come over to the ruling side,” hinting at political rapprochement.

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