Mumbai, Oct 20 — Launching a scathing attack on Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde on Tuesday hit back at his critics during the Dussehra rally and accused Thackeray of betraying the mandate of the people in 2019 and ascending to the Chief Minister's post through the "back door".
Deputy CM Shinde launched a direct tirade against Thackeray's political legitimacy regarding the 2019 post-poll alliance shift.
He said that the 2019 political shift was a "blatant betrayal of voters".
"You (Uddhav Thackeray) became the Maharashtra Chief Minister through the "back door". The biggest vote theft happened in 2019 when you contested elections in the name of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and later formed the government with the Maha Vikas Aghadi. This is a severe betrayal of the voters," he charged.
He also targeted the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the recent march at the Supreme Court, saying that this had never happened earlier.
Deputy CM Shinde countered ongoing criticism against him by emphasising his administration's commitment to the agrarian community, highlighting that Maharashtra is currently facing drought-like conditions and distress.
"Today, Shiv Sena is completing 60 years, and we are keeping our traditions alive. Farmers are in distress, and Maharashtra is under the shadow of drought. This is the time to rush to the aid of farmers, not to indulge in accusations," he said.
Positioning himself as a farmer's son who understands grassroots pain, Deputy CM Shinde asserted, "I am not someone who just gives speeches; we are providers of ration. When I was Chief Minister, I bypassed bureaucratic norms to provide relief assistance to farmers. Taking care of farmers' children's education and weddings is Shiv Sena's responsibility."
Addressing Opposition's criticism over immediate financial package of Rs 5,000, the Deputy Chief Minister defended the allocation and planning aimed at rural support.
Dismissing detractors who questioned the initial financial payouts, he noted that the amount served as immediate, emergency assistance.
He highlighted that the state government has announced a massive Rs 32,000 crore framework for comprehensive farm loan waivers.
Taking a jibe at his political rivals, Deputy CM Shinde asked, "Have you ever even distributed a packet of biscuits to farmers? Their crops have withered away, and all you do is stage protests."
He said that he would let his developmental work and grassroots efforts answer political opponents rather than getting dragged into daily verbal spats.