Amid buzz of defections from Sena (UBT), Uddhav dares Shinde to poach his MPs
Mumbai/ New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday dared Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to poach his MPs even as eight parliamentarians rejected claims that they will abandon the opposition party.
His assertion came amid buzz that Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs could join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Friday claimed many leaders from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) were in touch with his party and would be inducted in phases.
"People have realised that Shinde's leadership is better than that of the Shiv Sena (UBT). His leadership is good and sensitive, which is why so many people are in touch. Many people are reaching out to the party, and it is certain that they will enter the fold phase-wise," Samant said.
"If any mission is to be undertaken, it is not done openly. There is no need to implement any mission here, considering the work Shinde has done," he asserted.
Several Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries and former corporators from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Akola joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Shinde.
"Everyone is in touch. When I was the CM, people of all parties came to me. Now I am the deputy CM and I hold the urban development, housing and MSRDC portfolios. People are in touch. I give importance to work. Do not ascribe any political meaning," Shinde said when asked whether Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs will join his party.
Hitting back, Thackeray said, "I dare you to try poaching Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs. I challenge you to take away even a single Shiv Sena worker without using police and government machinery and central agencies."
In Delhi, eight Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentarians - Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Rajabhau Waje, Sanjay Jadhav, Nagesh Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh asserted that they were firmly with the Thackeray-led party.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine members in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha.
Sawant asserted that none of the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs had received any phone calls and condemned the attempts to "spread rumours" about mass desertions from the Thackeray-led party.
The former Union minister said the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs had been with the party in difficult times and would continue to do so.
The two outfits have been bickering since the BJP-led Mahayuti swept to power in Maharashtra in November, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with just 46 seats in the 288-member assembly.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 57 seats in the assembly polls, getting an upper hand over the Thackeray-led outfit ahead of the crucial local bodies elections, expected later this year.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
