‘Eknath Shinde taking Maharashtra ahead’: Shiv Sena leaders welcome six UBT MPs

MAharashtra surrogate chief government minister Eknath Shinde has been taking the tell forward, Shiv Sena ministers said on mon after six MPs from Uddhav Thackeray's faction defected to the party.The MPs who switched sides are Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar.“We have seen the way Eknath Shinde is taking the state ahead, he worries about each and every worker,” Maharashtra minister Dadaji Bhuse said, as per PTI. “We welcome the workers who want to join Shiv Sena.” “The future will have only one Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, as said by Amit Shah,” he said.Track the Shiv Sena crisis live hereShinde welcomes rebel MPsThe reactions came after the six MPs joined the Shinde Sena. Addressing a press conference, Eknath Shinde called the development the “second phase” of the 2022 political revolt that split the Shiv Sena.“Today, we welcome all these six kattar Shivsainik MPs into the original Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. In 2022, we carried out a revolt when 40 MLAs joined us, and that was to save the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb. This is the second phase of that same movement,” Shinde said.He said the MPs joined for constituency development and not for own gain. “All these people have come with us not for their personal interest or benefit but have come for the betterment of their constituency,” he added.Taking a dig at Sanjay Raut, Shinde said, "Today, six MPs have joined us. So we have three Sanjays here with us. When we have Sanjay here, no need to talk about any other Sanjay."ALSO READ | Big blow to Uddhav Thackeray as six rebel UBT MPs officially join Shinde's Shiv Sena: ‘Operation Tiger successful’Shinde also said the 2022 split had public backing, noting that the party’s strength in the Maharashtra Assembly rose from 40 MLAs at the time of the split to 60 after the elections.The Shiv Sena chief also said the new entrants were committed to Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology and had completed all formalities to join the party.Referring to the 2022 rebellion, Shinde called the latest induction the "second phase" of that movement and described it as a "sixer" for his camp, reiterating that his faction represents the “real Shiv Sena.”Ministers slam Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam also hit out at Uddhav Thackeray. “How much NIDHI was given to the farmers while Uddhav Thackeray was the CM? He should also think that he implemented the same policies,” Kadam said.The development comes amid political churn in Maharashtra, where speculation had been growing after the six Sena (UBT) MPs skipped a parliamentary party meeting in Delhi on June 17.