CM’s son Shrikant Shinde downplays ad row between Shiv Sena, BJP

KALYAN: Chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son and Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde on Saturday tried to bring the curtains down on the bitterness generated by full-page ads projecting Shinde as the net CM and more popular leader than his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.

The advertisement caused a row between his party Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Shinde-Fadnavis ‘jodi’ was unbreakable and no one needs to get carried away by such propaganda, Shrikant Shinde said at a conclave for party workers from Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency at Acharya Atre Rangmandir.

He added, “We have allied with those who fulfilled the dream of the late Balasaheb Thackeray and we are proud of it. But you are the ones who sold and betrayed the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray,” said Shrikant Shinde criticising Uddhav Thackeray without naming him.

Shrikant and the BJP leaders like BJP MLA Gangpat Gaikwad and local BJP leaders were seen together during a foundation stone laying ceremony of a bridge.

“You can see that we are together. Every leader has different events to attend. However, in Kalyan, you can see both Shiv Sena and BJP together. The local conflicts do not affect the equation at the senior level party functionaries. So, we are together and will remain so,” said Shrikant, while laying the foundation stone for the Kalyan Lokgram bridge in Kalyan East along with BJP leader Ganpat Gaikwad.

In the last few days, the conflict between the Shinde faction and BJP was in the limelight in the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency after a molestation case was filed against BJP leader Nandu Joshi. The FIR did not go down well with the BJP leadership in Thane and Kalyan. In a conclave last week, the Thane BJP leaders staked a claim on the Thane, Kalyan, and Palghar Lok Sabha seats – which were earlier with the BJP. The conflict between the alliance escalated further when full-page ads appeared projecting Eknath Shinde as the net CM, shocking the BJP’s rank and file. CM and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis then travelled together and appeared at a public function projecting a united front. Eknath Shinde described the Sena-BJP alliance as “Fevicol ka Jod”.

Fadnavis said they had formed the alliance to serve Maharashtra and its citizens and did not forget it for personal ambitions and politically powerful positions.

During the conclave at Acharya Atre Rangmandir in Kalyan, he slammed Uddhav Thackeray without taking his name. He also made remarks about Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut.

“Why have so many people left and joined us and still want to join us? Have you ever examined this,” asked Shrikant.