Pune: Eknath Shinde Takes a Dig at Uddhav Thackeray, Says He ‘Overtook a Mercedes’
Junnar, 1st March 2025: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday took an indirect swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, remarking that he was once a rickshaw driver who “overtook a Mercedes” two-and-a-half years ago. His comment comes in the backdrop of allegations made by Shiv Sena member Neelam Gorhe, who recently accused Thackeray of accepting two Mercedes cars in exchange for political appointments.
Shinde was speaking at a rally in Junnar tehsil of Pune district, where independent MLA Sharad Sonawane joined Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) in his presence. Sonawane had contested the elections with an autorickshaw as his election symbol. Referring to this, Shinde said, “Sonawane fought elections on a rickshaw symbol. I was also a rickshaw driver at one time, and two-and-a-half years ago, I overtook a Mercedes. Even when we were in government, I chose to revolt because I couldn’t tolerate the insult of loyal Shiv Sainiks.”
The controversy surrounding Thackeray and Mercedes cars erupted during the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Delhi, where Gorhe alleged that the former chief minister would not meet MLAs and that positions in the undivided Shiv Sena were given in exchange for luxury cars.
Shinde also responded to Thackeray’s recent remarks about his visit to Mahakumbh, where the latter had claimed that taking a holy dip in the Ganga would not wash away his “sins” of betraying Maharashtra. Defending his pilgrimage, Shinde said, “Some people are trying to criticize me, but in doing so, they have insulted Mahakumbh itself. I took a dip in the Ganga to wash away the sins committed by those who abandoned Hindutva and Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals.”
Asserting his party’s growing strength, Shinde said, “They (Shiv Sena UBT) will continue making baseless allegations, and we will continue working for the common people. That’s why we received 15 lakh more votes than them in the elections. Even today, people are lining up to join the real Shiv Sena because they trust me.”
