The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana has launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing him of riding on a “stolen legacy” after claiming that the people have endorsed his faction as the “real Shiv Sena”.
In its latest editorial, Saamana dismisses Shinde’s assertion as empty rhetoric, arguing that his electoral successes in the Lok Sabha, Assembly and municipal polls were made possible not by popular support but by the allotment of the Shiv Sena name and the bow-and-arrow symbol. The editorial alleges that the symbol was handed over to the Shinde faction under pressure from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, despite the dispute still being pending before the Supreme Court of India.
Saamana further alleges that the ruling alliance leveraged money, power and intimidation during recent municipal elections. It claims that despite heavy spending by the Shinde camp in places like Ambernath and Badlapur, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged stronger, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis consolidating his position as the BJP became the single largest party in local body polls.
Recalling Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, the editorial says the bow-and-arrow symbol represents a legacy built over decades and cannot be claimed through legal tactics. It also alleges that while courts move quickly in some matters, delays in deciding the anti-defection cases and the Shiv Sena symbol dispute have allowed the Shinde faction to fight multiple elections using the symbol.
The editorial questions the poll results, citing matching numbers of municipal chiefs and MLAs won by the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and alleges misuse of state machinery, cash distribution and threats of stalled development to influence voters.
Accusing the Election Commission of inaction, Saamana claims that the municipal results resembled outcomes “bought through bidding” rather than a transparent democratic exercise.
It also stated that electoral “theft” may have become routine, public awareness will eventually prevail, maintaining that the Shiv Sena name does not belong to those who, it says, surrendered before the Modi-Shah leadership.
