“People voted for Shiv Sena-BJP alliance & now I am with BJP”, says Shinde

|HT|

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has said that he should have sided with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) two and half years ago when people voted for their alliance. “This is the corrective measure I took,” he said in Thane on Saturday, referring to his move to rebel against his predecessor, Uddhav Thackeray.

“People voted for Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and now if I am with BJP. Where did I go wrong?” said Shinde over a month after his breakaway Sena faction formed the government with the BJP.

He reiterated he did not rebel for the chief ministerial post. “I did it for justice. Even today I do not feel like a chief minister. I am still a local leader who works for the people’s benefit. I will work for the peace and happiness of each and every section of society.”

Shinde said that his alliance with the BJP will continue for the upcoming elections and that the previous government was formed even as people voted for the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.

He said the lawmakers were unhappy. “There was no respect for the party even if we had our chief minister [Thackeray]. Lawmakers did not get funds and there was dissatisfaction. I spoke to Uddhav Thackeray regarding this...But we did not succeed.”

Shinde said Sena founder Bal Thackeray was clear about Congress and always said it is their enemy. “He said he would shut up shop if he had to ever align with the Congress. We are taking his ideology forward. Where did we go wrong?” Shinde said BJP’s move to give him the chief ministerial post shows the party does not work for power.

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