On April 10, 2023, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal criticized Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s recent visit to Ayodhya, saying that “conspirators, opportunists, and backstabbers” cannot carry forward the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray. Shinde made his first visit to Ayodhya after becoming the Chief Minister in June 2022 and was accompanied by thousands of Shiv Sainiks. During the visit, Shinde said that the ideology of the Shiv Sena and the BJP is the same, and they will unfurl the saffron flag all over the state next year. The Lok Sabha election and the Maharashtra Assembly polls are due next year.
Shinde’s coup against Uddhav Thackeray split the Shiv Sena last year and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray. This statement was made by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his visit to Ayodhya in April 2023. He emphasized that the Shiv Sena and BJP have a clear alliance and share the same ideology of Hindutva. He also stated that they will work together to serve the people of the state and in 2024, the saffron flag of the Shiv Sena and BJP will be unfurled in the entire state. It is worth noting that the Lok Sabha election and Maharashtra Assembly polls are due in 2024.The upcoming Lok Sabha election and Maharashtra Assembly polls are expected to be closely watched, particularly in light of the political developments within the Shiv Sena party. Eknath Shinde’s ascension to the Chief Minister’s post and his subsequent Ayodhya visit are significant political moves that indicate his political ambitions within the party. His split with former party leader Uddhav Thackeray last year had led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. The state’s political landscape remains fluid, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the run-up to the polls.
