Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde used his Shiv Sena faction’s Dussehra rally at the NESCO Centre on Tuesday to pitch his party as one that delivers, answering Uddhav Thackeray’s camp with a list of relief measures for drought-hit farmers.
The rally skipped floral arches and cultural programmes and was dedicated to farmers. Banners read ‘Madaticha toran, hech Shiv Senechi dhoran’ and promised that farmers’ Diwali would not go dark. Trucks carrying Diwali ration for drought-affected families stood at the venue. Shinde arrived at 7.14 pm.
The programme, held at the NESCO Centre, was dedicated to farmers
“We are not people who give empty speeches. We are workers who give ration to the poor and light the hearth in their homes,” Shinde said, adding that he would answer allegations through work, not words.
Farmers’ aid
He said the government had declared drought promptly, halted coercive loan recovery and waived power and water bills. He claimed Rs 5000 aid had been announced for farmers, that farmers now receive Rs 12,000 a year, and that as chief minister he had set aside rigid National Disaster Response Force norms to compensate them. Turning to Thackeray, he asked what the latter had done for farmers as CM. Shinde said he had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, and that both had assured Central support for Maharashtra’s farmers.
Shiv Sena leaders greet rally attendees at the rally. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Election irregularities
The speech turned sharply political on the Opposition’s “vote chori” charge. The real vote theft, Shinde said, was when voters backed the BJP-Sena alliance and the Thackeray camp went with the Congress. Accusing critics of questioning the Supreme Court and constitutional bodies, he said, “This is not Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, this is Hindustan.” He also dismissed the “Constitution in danger” claim as a fake narrative, saying the Opposition’s freedom to march proved otherwise.
Youth employment
Citing his tenure as Gadchiroli guardian minister, he said he had helped 5000 youths in Naxal-hit areas find employment. He also said the Mahayuti government was giving free grain to 25 crore people.
The Shiv Sena leaders hoist a flag at the event
‘Shinde doesn’t take’
Minister Gulabrao Patil said the party’s theme, “Bhagwa aplya khandavar, Shivsainik shetkaryanchya bandhavar”, should be backed by action. He asked all MLAs and MPs to spend 50 per cent of their funds on water conservation and deepen drains in their constituencies. “Shinde saheb gives, he doesn’t take,” Patil said, hitting back at Rs 500-crore allegations against the leader. He ended by predicting that Shinde would be CM again the next time he speaks from this stage.
Political potshots
Rajya Sabha MP Jyoti Waghmare dedicated the Dussehra to drought-hit farmers and took aim at the rival rally at Shivaji Park. Advocate Avinash Tambhedkar said the original Sena was holding its 61st Dussehra rally while the Thackeray faction marked its fourth. Before the rally, ministers Pratap Sarnaik and Santosh Bangar expressed confidence in making Shinde CM again.
