Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, June 20 (IANS) While backing Union Home Minister Amit Shah's 'no faction left' remark while taking a jibe at Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader Bachchu Kadu on Saturday asserted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction is preparing not just for the 2029 general elections but also for the 2032 Assembly polls.
While addressing a public gathering in Kolhapur, Union Minister Shah declared that there is no longer any "faction" left in Maharashtra's politics, but only "one authentic Shiv Sena" led by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde.
Speaking to reporters, Bacchu Kadu said: "The rapid expansion of the party under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde clearly shows that now there is only one Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, that of Eknath Shinde."
"Shiv Sena is preparing not only for the 2029 elections but also for 2032, and that the coming years will continue to belong to the party," he added.
Moreover, Bacchu Kadu claimed that many Shiv Sena-UBT workers across Maharashtra are willing to join the Shinde faction.
The Shiv Sena leader said: "I have been touring districts continuously and can clearly see at the grassroots level that a large number of workers from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction are interested in joining Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena."
He added that instead of criticising those who leave the party, the leadership should introspect on why people are leaving the organisation.
Regarding defections and splits in political parties across various states, including Trinamool Congress, Kadu said: "Every political party seeks to strengthen and expand its organisation."
He added that if a party's structure weakens, "it should focus on rebuilding itself rather than blaming rival parties for its decline".
"In politics, wherever people see benefits they act accordingly, even if their own family members are involved," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday dropped heavy hints of an impending political shift in Maharashtra, declaring, "This is just the trailer, the movie is still to come."
Addressing party workers, Eknath Shinde used sharp, aggressive rhetoric to hit back at opposition leaders who have been targeting him over the rumoured defection of 6 Shiv Sena-UBT MPs.
--IANS
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