Here to meet chiefs of Shiv Sena state units: Eknath Shinde in Delhi

This comes days after the chiefs of the party’s 12 state units openly joined the Shinde camp, abandoning Uddhav Thackeray.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is in Delhi to meet several Union ministers, said he is in the national capital to meet the state unit chiefs of the Shiv Sena who have come out in his support.

“I am here to meet all our state unit chiefs. This is a historic moment for Shiv Sena. This is an important day for Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena,” Shinde said.

This comes days after the chiefs of the party’s 12 state units openly joined the Shinde camp, abandoning Uddhav Thackeray.

“The state unit chiefs here mentioned how it was difficult to secure meetings in Mumbai, forget getting support. We struggled not because someone wanted to be a chief minister or a minister. We were in power. So many people gave up their ministers’ posts. People go from opposition to the ruling party. But we gave up power,” Shinde said, a reference to the ministers who had to resign when the Uddhav Thackeray-led government was toppled in Maharashtra.

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“When the BJP-Sena fought the polls together in 2019, we went to people seeking votes with Balasaheb’s photo in one hand and with the PM’s on the other. We went with the Hindutva agenda. People accepted us and thought that the alliance would form the government,” he said.

“But what happened? Even the people were in disbelief that we formed a government with the NCP and the Congress. Balasaheb had said that if there is a reason to join hands with Congress and NCP, I will shut shop,” Shinde said, arguing in favour of the coup that brought down the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government mid-term.