CM Fadnavis fires Ram jibe at Uddhav in Pune
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis publicly targeted Uddhav Thackeray in Pune on 18 July 2026, using the BJP slogan 'one who is not with Ram is of no use,' escalating the ideological battle between the ruling alliance and Shiv Sena (UBT) over Hindutva legacy.
Key Takeaways
Devendra Fadnavis posted the remark from Pune on 18 July 2026 , targeting Uddhav Thackeray directly.
The Hindi slogan used — 'जो राम का नहीं, वो किसी काम का नहीं' — translates to 'one who is not with Ram is of no use,' a phrase common in BJP political discourse.
The attack is the latest in ongoing public sparring between the BJP-Shinde alliance and Shiv Sena (UBT) since the 2022 party split.
The remark contests Thackeray's claim to the Hindutva identity that underpinned the original Shiv Sena .
A counter-response from Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership is widely expected.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a sharp dig at opposition leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, 18 July 2026, deploying a pointed religious slogan to question the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief's political standing, in a post shared from Pune.
Context
Fadnavis's post, written in a mix of Marathi and Hindi, states: 'उद्धव ठाकरे यांच्या हे शेवटी लक्षात आलेच' — 'Uddhav Thackeray has finally realised this' — before quoting the Hindi phrase 'जो राम का नहीं, वो किसी काम का नहीं', meaning 'One who is not with Ram is of no use to anyone.' The remark was shared in the context of a Pune event and was tagged with #Maharashtra and #Pune.
The slogan is a staple of BJP political discourse and carries a dual edge: invoking religious identity while simultaneously casting the opponent as politically irrelevant. Directing it at Thackeray signals that Fadnavis views the opposition leader's current political position as weakened.
Policy Backdrop
The exchange is rooted in the dramatic 2022 split of Shiv Sena, when a faction led by Eknath Shinde broke away and aligned with the BJP, toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that Uddhav Thackeray had led. Thackeray's faction — now officially registered as Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) or Shiv Sena (UBT) — has since positioned itself as part of the opposition bloc in Maharashtra.
The BJP-Shinde alliance has consistently challenged the legitimacy of Thackeray's claim to the original Shiv Sena's legacy, including its Hindutva identity. Fadnavis's invocation of a Ram-centric slogan can be read as a continuation of that ideological contest.
Stakeholders and Impact
Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are the primary targets of the remark. The party has built its post-split identity around positioning itself as the authentic inheritor of founder Bal Thackeray's legacy, which itself was deeply intertwined with Hindutva politics — making Fadnavis's Ram reference a calculated provocation on ideological ground.
For BJP supporters and the ruling alliance's base, the statement reinforces a narrative that the opposition has drifted from core values. For Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, it is likely to prompt a counter-response asserting their own Hindutva credentials.
What's Next
A formal response from Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership is anticipated, as such exchanges rarely go unanswered in Maharashtra's charged political environment. Observers will watch whether Fadnavis follows up with further statements on related themes, particularly as both sides continue to contest the ideological and organisational legacy of Shiv Sena ahead of future electoral cycles.
The broader pattern suggests that public sparring between the ruling alliance and the Thackeray camp will intensify as political positioning in Maharashtra continues.
Point of View
The CM frames the opposition leader's political decline as ideological self-exclusion rather than a BJP-engineered power shift. This kind of symbolic attack is designed to erode Shiv Sena (UBT)'s voter base among Hindutva-leaning constituents who remain undecided between the two factions. It reflects a deliberate ruling-alliance strategy of contesting the opposition on cultural and religious terrain, not just governance metrics.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Fadnavis say about Uddhav Thackeray in Pune?
CM Devendra Fadnavis posted a message on 18 July 2026 stating that Uddhav Thackeray has 'finally realised' the truth of the slogan 'one who is not with Ram is of no use,' targeting Thackeray's political standing with a phrase central to BJP discourse.
What does 'jo Ram ka nahin, wo kisi kaam ka nahin' mean?
The Hindi phrase means 'one who is not with Ram is of no use to anyone.' It is a slogan frequently used by BJP leaders to invoke religious identity and question the political relevance of opponents.
Why is there a rivalry between Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray?
The rivalry intensified after the 2022 Shiv Sena split, when a faction led by Eknath Shinde aligned with the BJP, ending the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that Thackeray had led. Since then, the ruling alliance and Shiv Sena (UBT) have been in sustained public conflict over political and ideological legitimacy.
What is Shiv Sena (UBT)?
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), or Shiv Sena (UBT), is the faction of the original Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray after the 2022 party split. It currently sits in the Maharashtra opposition alongside other Maha Vikas Aghadi partners.
What is the political significance of Fadnavis's statement in Pune?
The statement is part of an ongoing BJP-led effort to contest Shiv Sena (UBT)'s claim to Hindutva identity and portray Thackeray as politically marginalised, a strategy that targets voters who remain loyal to the original Shiv Sena's ideological roots.
