'Wounded Tiger' Vs 'Inheritor': Uddhav, Shinde Hold Parallel Rallies To Mark Balasaheb's Birth Anniversary

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who highlighted his party's stellar performance in the November assembly polls, said self-respect is more important than any position.

File photo of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

Source : PTI

The rival Shiv Sena camps in Maharashtra held parallel public rallies in Mumbai on the 99th birth anniversary of party founder Bal Thackeray. 

While Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray used the event to launch an attack on the 'traitors', rival camp leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the people have given their verdict on which is the real Shiv Sena.

Uddhav Thackeray, who held the rally for the first time since the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, attacked Union Minister Amit Shah by saying "I will show you what a wounded tiger can do."

"We are meeting like this for the first time after election results (of Maharashtra elections)...The results that came 2 months back are not acceptable to me. Amit Shah came here and said that this victory (of Mahayuti) will show Uddhav Thackeray his place. I will show you what a wounded tiger can do," Uddhav said at the Mumbai rally.

शिवसैनिकांचा मेळावा | आम्ही शिवसैनिक बाळासाहेबांच्या विचारांचे, आम्ही निष्ठावंत उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरेंचे!! | छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज स्टेडीयम, अंधेरी, मुंबई - #LIVE https://t.co/wSp5ddOfkz

— ShivSena - शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) January 23, 2025

The former Chief Minister further said that he has conducted the event to see how many of the people were with him. 

"As long as you are Shiv Sainiks, I will be your party president. We will teach a lesson to traitors. When someone will come and tell me that I have abandoned the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray, I will step aside," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader added. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who highlighted his party's stellar performance in the November assembly polls, said self-respect is more important than any position.

Shinde was referring to the episode in June 2022, when he along with several Shiv Sena MLAs broke away from Uddhav Thackeray and formed the government in Maharashtra with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shinde's faction later got the 'Shiv Sena' name and 'bow and arrow' symbol, while the Thackeray faction was christened Shiv Sena (UBT) with 'mashaal' (flaming torch) as its symbol.

The Shiv Sena leader said there will be no compromise on the party's ideals and self-respect and added that people have given their verdict to the real Shiv Sena in Assembly Elections.

वारसा विचारांचा..
वारसा हिंदुत्त्वाचा..
वारसा हृदयावर राज्य करणाऱ्या...
हिंदुहृदयसम्राटांचा...

वंदनीय हिंदुहृदयसम्राट शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या जयंतीदिनाच्या निमित्ताने ठाणे शहरातील टेंभीनाका येथील आनंदआश्रमात उपस्थित राहून त्यांच्या प्रतिमेला पुष्पहार अर्पण करून… pic.twitter.com/rafUrxsJMV

— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) January 23, 2025

"We contested 80 seats and won 60 seats. This victory is spectacular. Now tell me whose Shiv Sena is real. People have given their verdict on which Shiv Sena is the real one. We are the inheritors of Balasaheb's legacy. People have put their seal on it," Shinde said in the rally to mark Balasaheb's anniversary. 

Shinde added that it was necessary to get similar success in the local body polls.

"Self-respect is more important than any position. There will be no compromise on Shiv Sena's ideals and self-respect. The ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray will not be betrayed," the Sena leader said.

The Mahayuti, of which the Shiv Sena is a part, swept the polls to the 288-member assembly, with BJP bagging 132 seats, Shiv Sena getting 57 and 41 going into the kitty of the NCP. The opposition Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar managed to win just 16, 20 and 10 seats, respectively.