India News | Shah Hails EC Decision on Sena; Attacks Uddhav with 'licking Soles of Those with Opposite Ideology' Jibe

Pune, Feb 18 (PTI) Union Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said those who chose to "lick the soles" of people with opposite ideologies have found which side truth was on after the Election Commission declared the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena and gave it the 'bow and arrow' symbol.

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Without naming Uddhav Thackeray, Shah, who was speaking at the launch of Marathi version of the booked 'Modi@20', also reiterated there was no agreement on sharing the chief minister's post in the run up to the 2019 Assembly polls.

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The Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the results of the 2019 Assembly polls were declared claiming the latter had reneged on a promise to share the CM's post with it.

"Yesterday, the Election Commission did 'doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani' (bring out absolute truth). Yesterday, the term 'satyamev jayate' (truth always triumphs) was characterised," Shah said in the presence of CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by CM Shinde, in the process delivering a big blow to Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray founded the outfit in 1966.

"Those who used to shout by taking refuge of falsehood today found out on whose side truth is," he said without naming Thackeray.

"During the (2019) state election, I was the party chief. We fought the election together, put up a bigger photo of Modiji than his (Thackeray), and contested the election by knowing Fadnavis as the leader. But to become CM, (he) went on to lick the soles of people having an opposite ideology," Shah further said.

He exhorted those attending the gathering to ensure all seats in Maharashtra should come to the kitty of the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Maharashtra will see Assembly polls just a few months after Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

"In elections, victories and defeats take place. But those who betray should not be spared as their courage gets a boost (if they are spared). I heard Shinde's press conference yesterday where he said he had freed the bow and arrow that had been mortgaged with the NCP and Congress," Shah said.

"Forget about us, these people (Uddhav faction) betrayed the ideology of Balasaheb and Shiv Sainiks. Today, doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani ho gaya," he asserted.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)