Eknath Shinde slams Sena (UBT) for recreating Bal Thackeray's voice through AI, calls it demeaning
Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI): Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said the Shiv Sena (UBT) demeaned Sena patriarch late Bal Thackeray by using AI technology to recreate his voice.
Nobody will stay with the Shiv Sena (UBT) because Uddhav Thackeray has "betrayed" his father's ideals, Shinde told reporters.
"We freed the Shiv Sena from the clutches of the Congress. They (Uddhav Thackeray and his party) were not only dislodged from power, but also from the minds of people. If they have any shame left, they should not resort to such childish acts and demean Balasaheb. Do not behave in a way that will hurt Balasaheb," he added.
Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in 2022 and split the party.
Responding to his barbs, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said those who formed a "fake Shiv Sena" using the Sena founder's name should not comment on the issue.
Artificial Intelligence technology was used to create Bal Thackeray's voice at a party event last month too, and there was nothing new in it, he added.
A 13-minute speech in a voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray was played at a Sena (UBT) gathering in Nashik in north Maharashtra on Wednesday. It had the late party founder's trademark lines too.
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, in a post on X on Wednesday, called it a childish stunt.
धिक्कार...!
— Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) April 16, 2025
आपला आवाज कुणी ऐकत नाही, म्हणून आपले विचार हिंदूहृदयसम्राट वंदनीय शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या आवाजात ऐकवण्याचा पोरकटपणा फक्त आणि फक्त उबाठासारखा गटच करु शकतो.
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
