Mumbai
-Oneindia English Desk
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sharpened the political message against Uddhav Thackeray’s camp, saying there is “only one Shiv Sena” and it is led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. His remarks in Kolhapur came at a sensitive moment for Shiv Sena (UBT), which is facing fresh internal strain over the absence of several Lok Sabha MPs from a party meeting.
Addressing a thanksgiving rally in Kolhapur on Saturday, Shah said the description of the “Shinde faction” was no longer relevant. “Earlier, we had to call the Shiv Sena Shinde faction after Eknath Shinde. Now, there is no faction. There is only one Shiv Sena,” ANI quoted the Union Home Minister as saying.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Kolhapur that Eknath Shinde leads the single Shiv Sena, while also launching the Mata Ambabai Temple modernisation project under the ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’ initiative.
Amit Shah links Kolhapur visit to ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’ push
Shah’s visit also had a strong cultural and development pitch. He offered prayers at the Mata Ambabai Temple in Kolhapur and laid the foundation stone for the modernisation and beautification of the temple complex. The temple is one of Maharashtra’s most important pilgrimage sites and draws devotees from across the state and neighbouring regions.
Speaking at the event, Shah said the redevelopment was part of a wider effort to upgrade religious and heritage sites while retaining their cultural character. “Today, on this sacred land of Maharashtra, where the abode of Mata Ambabai is here, in this Kolhapur, we have all gathered for a very noble cause,” he said.
He credited the Maharashtra government with taking up the renovation and corridor work at the temple. Shah also linked the project to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phrase “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi”, which the Bharatiya Janata Party has often used to describe its blend of infrastructure development and heritage-focused politics.
“In Maharashtra, all Jyotirlingas and Shakti Peeth are being redeveloped and revitalised. This is a matter of pride for all of us,” Shah said. The message was aimed not only at devotees in western Maharashtra, but also at voters who view temple redevelopment as part of a wider cultural assertion by the ruling alliance.
Shiv Sena (UBT) faces absentee MP crisis
The timing of Shah’s comments gave them a sharper political edge. Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, is dealing with speculation about possible defections from its parliamentary ranks. The buzz has been described in political circles as “Operation Tiger”, though the full extent of any attempted shift remains unclear.
The immediate flashpoint was a parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. According to the party’s account, only three of its nine Lok Sabha MPs attended the meeting called by the leadership and whips. Those present were Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje.
Six MPs were absent from the meeting: Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Their absence has deepened unease inside the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which has already been through a major organisational split since 2022.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has responded by issuing show cause notices to the absentee MPs. Anil Desai, the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, has asked them to submit written explanations within 24 hours. The notice warns that failure to reply may be treated as evidence that they have voluntarily given up party membership.
With inputs from agency
