Maharashtra politics: When Eknath Shinde preened and Uddhav Thackeray sneered

Even as CM Eknath Shinde said at the National Democratic Alliance NDA meeting on Tuesday that he was fortunate to table the resolution to together win the Lok Sabha polls next year rival Uddhav Thackeray after attending the Opposition alliancersquos meeting said lsquoINDIArsquo was destined to end the dictatorship in the country Thackeray also visited Ajit PawarMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde basked in the attention at the National Democratic Alliance NDA meeting on Tuesday saying he was fortunate to table the resolution to together win the Lok Sabha polls next year His political rival and former party chief Uddhav Thackeray stated on his return from the Opposition alliances meeting that the new front was destined to end the dictatorship in the countryChief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday PicsAtul KambleUnited share ideology Shinde Shinde said in a statement that he was fortunate to table the NDAs resolutions at Tuesdays meeting ldquoIt has been resolved to win more than 330 Lok Sabha seats next year I am confident that NDAs unity will achieve the target He added that the BJPSena alliance was formed in 1989 by late leaders Balasaheb Thackeray and Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani The alliance was based on a firm ideology and antiCongress positionrdquoThe SenaBJP unity has completed 34 years and NDA was established 25 years ago ldquoThe friendship has become even stronger under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and valuable guidance of JP Nadda and Amit Shahrdquo he said adding that the NDA parties will sweep the Lok Sabha polls to create a new BharatShiv Sena UBT President Uddhav Thackeray also attended the sessionTeam of nation lovers ThackerayThackeray attended the legislative session on Wednesday Speaking to media persons he said the country now knew that the Oppositions prepoll alliance INDIA was a team of the people who love the country and democracy ldquoIt is not against any person or party because governments change PMs and CMs change But it is against something damaging to the nation and that is dictatorship So the people who love their country and its democracy have come together to fight dictatorshiprdquo he saidAjit shares prominencePresident of the breakaway Nationalist Congress Party Ajit Pawar the latest NDA member mentioned his participation and courtesy meetings with PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New DelhiAfter trying unsuccessfully to convince Sharad Pawar to support him Ajit had gone to the NDA meeting while his uncle made a statement by attending the Oppositions event in Bangalore The new 26party front christened INDIA Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance will hold its third meeting in Mumbai Thackeray and Pawars parties will be the hosts Both Shinde and Ajit Pawar featured prominently in the 38party NDA group photograph Standing in the front row with PM Modi and party president Nadda Amit Shah was flanked by Shinde and Pawar They shared the picture on social media and in the press releasesSmall parties from Maharashtra the union minister of state Ramdas Athawaleled Republican Party of India Jan Surajya Shakti Party Vinay Kore Prahar Janshakti Party Bacchu Kadu and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha Mahadev Jankar are part of NDA Athawale Kadu and Kore were presentUddhav meets Ajit leaves barb for ShindeUddhav Thackeray visited Ajit Pawar at the Dy CMrsquos Vidhan Bhavan office on Wednesday His MLA son Aaditya and other legislators accompanied him He said it was a courtesy call to the person who was handed the keys to the state treasury yet againDy CM Ajit Pawar at the monsoon session of the state assembly on Wednesday PicAtul KambleldquoI told him to work for the people Real issues are not paid attention when the power game is on Farmers are distressed Some days ago it was about short rainfall now excessive rains could hit farmers I asked Ajit dada to not neglect the distressedrdquo he said He added that he knew Ajitrsquos temperament very well because they had worked together in the MVA government ldquoLet others do whatever they want but I am sure Ajit dada will work well because he has been given the keys to the statersquos treasury yet againrdquo he said chiding Shinde who had blamed Ajit for inequitable fund allocation in the MVA which was used as one of the reasons to split the Shiv Sena Shindersquos MLAs were opposed to making Ajit the finance minister after his faction joined the government early this month Shindersquos associates had said that it was Thackeray the then CM who had failed to check Ajit despite their requests but henceforth Shinde would ensure proper treatment to his MLAs