NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde dismissed the alliance between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, calling it an attempt to safeguard the Thackeray family’s political control rather than serve the state.Speaking at an India Today Conclave, Shinde played down the impact of the two leaders joining hands for the upcoming municipal elections.”Those coming together are not doing it for Maharashtra; they are doing it for family politics. People saw what happened in the BMC for 25 years. They experienced Covid and corruption under the previous leadership. We focus on real work, development, and solving citizens’ problems,” he said.Shinde vowed that Mumbai’s roads would soon be fully concretised and pothole-free, while daring the rival party to prove that the Shiv Sena’s 25-year control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was “corruption-free”. The Shiv Sena held power in the civic body from 1997 to 2022 before the party split.Pointing to the party’s electoral track record, he said, “Before the Vidhan Sabha elections, predictions about Shiv Sena’s performance were wrong. We achieved a clear majority, winning 60 out of 80 seats. People know who works, and Shinde sir worked 24/7, which is why the party won 75%.”He also countered corruption charges from the Thackeray camp and Congress. “The party that ruled for 25 years did not solve these issues. Every year, tar roads were laid that washed away. Where is the accountability for corruption during Covid?” he asked.On dynasty politics, Shinde said the party’s strength lies beyond individuals. “The party gave me the opportunity when I was in college. People voted for us, and my responsibility has been to sustain their trust. Shiv Sena is about service, not individual ambition,” he said.He added that both he and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde were committed to citizen welfare. “We are not here to do brand politics,” he said.
