Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday published a full-page advertisement in various newspapers on Tuesday titled “Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra.” The advertisement cited a survey indicating that Shinde is favoured more than BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis for the top post in Maharashtra.
The ad prompted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut to call the party “Modi-Shah’s Shiv Sena”, while Shiv Sena leader and school education minister Deepak Kesarkar said the Opposition is “jealous” as Shinde and Fadnavis are working like “brothers”.
The advertisement carries Sena’s bow-and-arrow symbol and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde. It has no image or photo of Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, a noticeable departure going by its earlier publicity materials.
“…For the chief minister’s position, 26.1 per cent of the people in Maharashtra desire Eknath Shinde and 23.2 per cent of the people wish to see Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister,” reads the advertisement.
Senior BJP leader Fadnavis was the CM between 2014 and 2019.
Thus, it is undeniable proof that 49.3 per cent of the people in Maharashtra wish to see a strong alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena for their state’s leadership, it said.
The figures and claims in the advertisement have been attributed to a Zee TV-Matrize survey.
“According to the election surveys, 30.2 per cent of citizens of Maharashtra prefer Bharatiya Janata Party, while 16.2 per cent of citizens prefer the Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde). These numbers show that a total of 46.4 per cent people of Maharashtra trust the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance for the development of the state,” the advertisement said.
Responding to the advertisement, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said, “It was Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena earlier, but the advertisement has cleared the air. It has now become Modi-Shah’s Shiv Sena. Where is the image or photo of late Balasaheb Thackeray in the advertisement?”
State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, however, tried to downplay the advertisement.
“It is always the election result that decides which party or leader is more acceptable to the voters. Shinde as a cabinet minister was popular earlier and now his acceptance has increased as the chief minister. People of the state have lots of expectations from Fadnavis, Shinde and Modi.”
