Eknath Shinde has shown the ‘real Shiv Sena’ to everybody: Amit Shah-OxBig News Network

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has shown the “real Shiv Sena” to everybody, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said.

The senior BJP leader made the remark on Friday while acknowledging the presence of Shinde at an event organised by the lobby grouping Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industries & Agriculture (MACCIA) in Mumbai.

The Bal Thackeray-founded party split in June 2022 after Mr. Shinde rebelled and brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav Thackeray. Since then, the two factions have been engaged in an acrimonious battle to lay claim to the founder’s legacy and be called the “real Shiv Sena”.

“Shinde has shown which is the real Shiv Sena to everybody,” Mr. Shah said.

The remarks come a day after both the Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions, now called Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT), respectively, celebrated the undivided party’s foundation day.

In polls held in November last year for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena won in 57 constituencies, while the Sena (UBT) could clinch only 20 seats. In 36 seats, the Shiv Sena candidate defeated Sena (UBT) contestants.

The battle of the Senas is bound to get more fierce in the upcoming local body polls across the State, especially in Mumbai, the country’s richest civic body, which was a bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena for many decades.