Mahayuti Rift Widens As Sattar Accuses BJP Of ‘Beheading’ Shiv Sena
MUMBAI: Differences in the ruling Mahayuti alliance came into clear relief when senior Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Abdul Sattar accused the BJP of ‘decapitating’ his party. He also suggested that both groups, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray, should put aside their differences and unite again.
“Our ally, the BJP, is doing the job of beheading the Shiv Sena. Kamakhya Devi in Guwahati knows about our sacrifice, but the BJP has now completely forgotten this sacrifice. The BJP is splitting our party into various factions and conspiring to eliminate the Shiv Sena. The BJP has already broken our limbs, now they are aiming to break our heads and finish us off politically,” said Mr. Sattar.
The Shiv Sena MLA’s remarks came after Mahayuti announced its candidates for 16 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad elections on Monday. Shiv Sena (Shinde) had staked its claims on the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar seat, which went to the BJP in the seat-sharing arrangement. Following this, Sattar’s son Sameer Sattar filed his independent candidature against official BJP candidate Suhas Shirsat from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar seat.
Abdul Sattar said Sambhaji Nagar district and city has been a stronghold of Shiv Sena since the days of Balasaheb Thackeray. However, despite being an alliance partner of the BJP, he has consistently claimed that it has captured the Sena’s traditional base and weakened its influence.
The MLA said that the BJP first took control of the Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, then took over the district panchayat and development bodies and now has sidelined in the MLC elections by rejecting the nomination of the Shiv Sena. “We left our former party leader and joined hands with the BJP. The situation that has emerged today is like a slowly developing poison and needs to be treated in the future. They are trying to destroy Shiv Sena slowly. Our strongholds are starting to collapse one by one,” he said.
Mr. Sattar claimed that both the Shiv Sena factions should come together to counter the BJP. “I believe that both Shiv Senas should come together. If our leader DCM Eknath Shinde decides to come together then there will be no need to ask anyone. Whatever decision my leader takes, I will fully accept it,” he said.
Comparing Shiv Sena’s situation with that of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Mr. Sattar said, “We should not have a ‘Mamata’-like situation in West Bengal. Once upon a time, Mamata Banerjee and the BJP were together in West Bengal. Then their coordination broke down and today they are killing each other. Workers like me should be careful and alert so that we do not have a ‘Mamata’-like situation in Maharashtra.”
