Mumbai: Eknath Shinde sobbed during his speech in the Maharashtra assembly today, his first as Chief Minister following a straightforward victory on the trust vote. Additionally, he disclosed that, except for internal opposition within his party, he was not elected Chief Minister of the previous Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition.
Eknath Shinde broke down while speaking about threats he claimed were made against his family as a result of his uprising against Shiv Sena leader and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray; he mentioned his children, who perished in a boating accident in 2000.
“They attacked my family…My father is alive, my mother died. I could not give much time to my parents. They would be asleep when I came and would go to work when I slept. I could not give much time to my son Shrikant. My two children died – at the time, Anand Dighe consoled me. I used to think, what is there to live for? I will stay with my family,” the Chief Minister said.
He shared that Anand Dighe, a Shiv Sena icon, told him to wipe his tears and those of others as well. “He helped me recover and made me leader of the Shiv Sena in the assembly,” he said.
Mr Shinde’s son, 11, and daughter, 7, drowned when a boat overturned during their visit to a village. Mr Shinde grieved for a long time for his children.
A Shiv Sena MP is his oldest son.
In defending his revolt, Mr. Shinde claimed that while treason was not in his blood, he had been humiliated as a result of the election outcome and could not stand it.
Mr Shinde, defending his rebellion, said treachery was not in his blood but he was humiliated over an election result and he could not take it.
Ajit Pawar of the NCP questioned Mr. Shinde’s claim that he would be named the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s Chief Minister.
“I started getting calls and people started joining me. Uddhav Thackeray phoned me, asked me where I am going, I said I don’t know. He asked me when I would return, I said I don’t know…I decided that I was willing to sacrifice myself but I would act.”
“Ajit Pawar told me later ‘we had no objection to you, the objection was from your party’. At Sharad Pawar’s instance, Uddhav Thackeray was made Chief Minister. I supported him wholeheartedly,” he said.
Looking at the opposition benches, he remarked: “Don’t take it personally. But many MLAs were worried about their identity and insisted that the BJP is our natural ally.”
On his revolt, Mr Shinde shared that he held secret meetings “when no one could find out, after everyone slept and before they woke up”.
“We were not born with golden spoons (sic). An ordinary man can also become Chief Minister. This is a government of chaiwalas, rickshaw walas, vegetable sellers and farmers…all. Is it wrong to work? Prime Minister Narendra Modi was called chaiwala – that party is finished,” he said.
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