Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, 27 June, launched a fierce attack on rebel Yavatmal-Washim MP Sanjay Deshmukh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a rally in Yavatmal, publicly apologising to voters for fielding a candidate he called a traitor and demanding accountability for what he described as orchestrated political defections. The address marked one of Thackeray's sharpest public rebukes since the 2022 Shiv Sena split.

Thackeray's Public Apology to Yavatmal Voters

In an emotionally charged moment, Thackeray directly addressed the electorate of the Yavatmal-Washim constituency. Deshmukh is among the six MPs who recently shifted allegiance to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction in what has been dubbed 'Operation Tiger'.

'I apologise to all of you, and to the voters of the Yavatmal-Washim constituency. Sometimes I make mistakes. You elected a scarecrow solely because I asked you to. When voting for him, you applied black ink to your fingers, but by defecting, he has blackened the face of your trust. You have every right to demand answers from him,' Thackeray said.

He also offered a pointed personal rebuke: 'If a man betrays his own people after swearing an oath by his mother, I wonder how his mother feels about it.'

Monsoon Metaphor and Party Morale

Thackeray opened his address by thanking farmers who left their fields to attend the rally despite delayed rains, drawing a vivid parallel between the monsoon season and the political churn within Maharashtra. 'Just as the rains sprout new shoots and wash away decayed leaves, you — the loyal, die-hard Shiv Sainiks sitting before me — are my monsoon. The rotten leaves have fallen away, and fresh, loyal sprouts are emerging,' he said.

This comes amid sustained efforts by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to consolidate its base ahead of the state Assembly elections, following a string of defections that have weakened its legislative strength.

Attack on BJP and Allegations of Financial Inducements

Thackeray levelled sharp allegations against the BJP, accusing the ruling alliance of monetising political loyalty. Referring to Eknath Shinde as the 'King of Traitors', he claimed the going rate for an MLA during the 2022 split was Rs 50 crore — colloquially referred to as '50 Khokas' — and questioned what price an MP might command today.

'Politics has turned into a business — get elected, and then increase your market value,' he charged.

Thackeray also questioned the BJP's Hindutva credentials, alleging financial irregularities linked to the Ram Temple construction. 'Money from the donation boxes of the Ram Temple and silver bricks have been stolen. What happened to the funds collected during the Shila Pujan? By raising slogans like Ram Mandir Wahin Banayenge, the BJP has merely played with the emotions of Hindus,' he said, adding that the alleged betrayal was directed not just at Shiv Sena but at Hindus broadly.

Invoking Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Historical Precedent

Responding to rebel leaders who cited lack of development funds as justification for switching sides, Thackeray invoked the legacy of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani. He argued that neither had defected to the Congress when in opposition despite similar resource constraints.

'If Atal ji and Advani ji had defected to the Congress over development funds, would Narendra Modi or Amit Shah have ever been politically born?' he asked.

He also cited revered social reformers Sant Tukdoji Maharaj and Gadge Baba, noting they never held legislative office yet earned enduring public respect — contrasting them with the defecting legislators.

What Comes Next

Thackeray concluded by urging party workers and the public to channel their anger into electoral action at the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. He acknowledged the ruling alliance's financial muscle but asserted that his faction's strength lies in its grassroots support. The rally signals a renewed ground-level campaign by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to reclaim its Vidarbha base, a region where Deshmukh's defection is seen as a significant political setback.