Union Home Minister Amit Shah (BJP) said there is now only one Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde [1].
The statement serves to delegitimize the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and formally signal the BJP's recognition of Shinde's leadership amid ongoing party rebellions [2].
Speaking at a thanksgiving rally in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Shah said the internal divisions within the party [1]. He dismissed the notion of multiple factions, saying that the entity led by Eknath Shinde is the sole remaining Shiv Sena [2].
This public endorsement comes as a strategic move to stabilize the Shinde-led government and isolate the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief [3]. By framing Shinde as the only legitimate leader, the Home Minister aims to consolidate the party's base and discourage further defections to the Thackeray camp [2].
The political landscape in Maharashtra has remained volatile since the original split of the party. The BJP's decision to explicitly deny the existence of a separate entity for Thackeray suggests a push for a final resolution to the legal and political disputes over the party name, and symbol [3].
Shah's comments in Kolhapur emphasize the BJP's commitment to its alliance with Shinde [1]. The rally served as a platform to project strength and unity before the upcoming political cycles in the state [2].
“There is now only one Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde”
This move by Amit Shah is a calculated effort to settle the leadership dispute of the Shiv Sena by declaring a winner through political recognition. By stripping Uddhav Thackeray's faction of its identity as a separate entity, the BJP seeks to weaken the opposition's legitimacy and solidify the Shinde-led administration's grip on power in Maharashtra.
