Mumbai, Nov 22 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (UBT) has sharply criticized Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde regarding his recent encounter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, where he allegedly voiced concerns about the BJP 's poaching of his leaders during the local body elections.

In a biting editorial, the Thackeray faction, through the party's mouthpiece Saamana, labeled the dialogue between Shah and Shinde as 'entertaining' and suggested that the ongoing 'displeasure drama' in Maharashtra should not be taken seriously.

As noted in the editorial, Shinde's repeated visits to Delhi have become increasingly insignificant.

'The BJP's core nature is to 'use, discard, or eliminate.' When Shinde and his 40 MLAs defected, the BJP fabricated a narrative that portrayed Shinde as a formidable leader. They gifted him the bow-and-arrow symbol of Shiv Sena, allowing him to act as if he were the party's supreme leader. However, with the BJP now revealing its true intentions, the Shinde faction is in a state of complete panic,' it stated.

Referring to Amit Shah as Shinde's 'party chief,' the Thackeray camp mentioned that the DCM expressed his grievances about Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP State President Ravindra Chavan, claiming, 'These individuals are dismantling our party. Chavan is purchasing our office-bearers with money. We will not endure this.' The Saamana reported that Amit Shah burst into laughter upon hearing Shinde's complaints.

'When Shinde questioned, 'Sir, why are you laughing?' Shah reportedly responded, 'Who is dismantling whose party? Your party was fundamentally created through defections orchestrated by us -- the BJP. You defected, and we acknowledged it as a party; hence you are using terms like 'party.' Whatever party you have is merely a sub-branch of the BJP. Grasp the sequence of events. You are skilled at poaching individuals by distributing money. If Chavan is following suit, don't take offense. Return to Mumbai and share a cup of tea with him. Do not bring frivolous complaints to Delhi,' the Thackeray camp asserted.

The editorial dismissed Shinde's assertion that the trip was 'successful' and that Shah had promised him dignity as mere 'bluff.' It also pointed out that during the ongoing local body elections, the BJP had poached several members from Shinde's faction, an act they deemed 'unbecoming of alliance politics.'

'Shinde and his faction are anxious that if the BJP continues its current approach, their party will not endure. Ravindra Chavan is from Thane district, making this a case of 'local thorns for local feet.' Since Chavan's appointment as the BJP state president, he has been undermining Shinde's group in Thane district. Many individuals whom Shinde bought for sums ranging from five to twenty-five lakhs have been acquired en masse by Chavan. Essentially, Chavan has adopted Shinde's own tactics,' it noted.

The editorial also mentioned an alleged assault on Shinde's supporters by BJP officials in Thane on Thursday. 'If you confront us, we will retaliate like this' -- this warning from Chavan's associates has reportedly put Shinde's Thane faction in a precarious situation,' it stated.

In conclusion, the editorial emphasized that Shinde's current dissatisfaction arises from the BJP utilizing against him the very strategies he once employed to fracture the undivided Shiv Sena, portraying Shinde and his faction as weak and wholly dependent on the BJP's caprices.