Amid the Maharashtra election campaign, Eknath Shinde has revealed that the threat to Shiv Sena's survival motivated his 2022 rebellion.

 

Speaking on The HotSpot with Rahul Shrivastava, Shinde said preserving Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy and securing the Shiv Sena’s future were the primary motives for challenging Uddhav Thackeray's authority. Shinde also questioned Uddhav's 'Facebook Live' governance model, which he says alienated not only the Sena MLAs but also the ordinary party workers. But what forced Shinde’s hand, he said, were the insults directed at Hindutva icons including Veer Savarkar.

 

Shinde recalled how Balasaheb would have reacted compared with the response of the Uddhav-led party, which was tied down with coalition compulsions. Shinde, who rose from humble beginnings in Thane, says he was drawn to Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology when he was around 18 years old. But he remains equally indebted to his mentor and guru, Anand Dighe.

 

The Shinde family, which had migrated from Satara to Thane, lived through difficult times. Eknath Shinde had to stop his studies after Class 12 to start working. He tried his hand at several jobs – from working at a fisheries factory, driving an auto and even getting into the Army. But once he came in contact with Anand Dighe, his entry into politics was inevitable. Many years after joining politics, Shinde went back to his studies to do his graduation in Marathi and political science.