‘Chameleon, Didn't Reply To Fadnavis' Calls': Eknath Shinde Slams Uddhav For Betraying BJP
Uddhav Thackeray had snapped ties with the BJP even after victory as allies in the 2019 Assembly polls. He went on to become the chief minister in alliance with Congress and NCP.
Maharashtra has never seen a chameleon changing colours so fast, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Friday, as he apparently hit out at Uddhav Thackeray for parting ways from the BJP in 2019 despite winning the Assembly polls as allies with a majority.
He accused Uddhav of betraying Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who he said, made '40-50 calls" to the then chief of undivided Shiv Sena after victory, but the latter made no response to the calls.
'Maharashtra has never seen a chameleon changing colours so fast. He went with those whom he once considered lowly," Shinde said in an apparent reference to Uddhav, who joined hands with long-time rivals Congress and NCP to become the chief minister, snapping ties with old ally BJP.
Shinde said that it was because of his request to Fadnavis that the latter had agreed to cede the post of Mumbai's mayor to Shiv Sena in 2017 after Sena won 84 seats and the BJP in the civic polls.
'But he (Thackeray) betrayed Fadnavis in 2019 (by walking out of the alliance)," Shinde said.
Shinde claimed that when he and the MLAs supporting him were camping in Guwahati in 2022 after their rebellion against Thackeray, the latter approached him for reconciliation, and told the BJP leadership in Delhi at the same time not to support the group.
The Shiv Sena chief said that the MVA government led by Thackeray announced to start a music school in the name of Lata Mangeshkar after her demise. He claimed that when the Mangeshkar family awarded the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uddhav was so upset that he decided not to start the music school.
Shinde said that when he became the chief minister in 2022, he started the music school.
Shinde's remarks of betrayal came a day after Uddhav met Fadnavis. A day earlier, Fadnavis had asked Uddhav in a tongue-in-cheek remark in the Assembly to switch to the ruling side.
(With PTI inputs)
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July 19, 2025, 09:59 IST
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