Bachchu Kadu backs Amit Shah's 'one Shiv Sena' claim, eyes 2032 polls
Synopsis
Home Minister Amit Shah declared there is 'one authentic Shiv Sena' at a Kolhapur rally — and Bachchu Kadu has amplified that claim with a striking forward projection: the Shinde faction is already planning for 2032. With Shinde warning that 'the movie is still to come' over rumoured UBT defections, Maharashtra's factional war is entering a new, more aggressive phase.
Key Takeaways
Bachchu Kadu on 20 June backed Amit Shah 's assertion that only one authentic Shiv Sena — led by Eknath Shinde — exists in Maharashtra.
Kadu said the Shinde faction is preparing for both the 2029 general elections and the 2032 Maharashtra Assembly polls .
He claimed large numbers of Shiv Sena-UBT workers across the state are keen to join the Shinde camp.
Amit Shah made the 'no faction' remark at a public gathering in Kolhapur , in a direct dig at Uddhav Thackeray .
Eknath Shinde on Friday warned, 'This is just the trailer, the movie is still to come,' amid reports of 6 Shiv Sena-UBT MPs potentially defecting.
Shiv Sena leader Bachchu Kadu on Saturday, 20 June threw his weight behind Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that no faction remains in Maharashtra's politics — only one authentic Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde. Speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kadu went further, declaring that the Shinde-led party is already mapping its strategy not just for the 2029 general elections but for the 2032 Maharashtra Assembly polls as well.
Shah's Kolhapur Salvo
The trigger for Kadu's remarks was a pointed statement by Home Minister Amit Shah at a public gathering in Kolhapur, where Shah declared that there is no longer any 'faction' in Maharashtra — only 'one authentic Shiv Sena' led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The remark was widely read as a direct jibe at Uddhav Thackeray's rival Shiv Sena-UBT grouping, which has contested the Shinde faction's claim to the party name and symbol.
Kadu's Ground-Level Reading
Kadu, who has been touring districts across Maharashtra, said the party's rapid expansion under Shinde's leadership is visible at the grassroots. 'The rapid expansion of the party under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde clearly shows that now there is only one Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, that of Eknath Shinde,' he said.
He also claimed that a large number of workers from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT are actively seeking to join the Shinde camp. 'I have been touring districts continuously and can clearly see at the grassroots level that a large number of workers from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction are interested in joining Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena,' Kadu said.
A Message to Uddhav's Camp
Kadu stopped short of gloating, directing a pointed message at the Thackeray leadership: rather than criticising those who leave, the party should introspect on why members are choosing to walk out. 'In politics, wherever people see benefits they act accordingly, even if their own family members are involved,' he remarked — a comment that applies broadly to defection patterns seen in several states, including those involving the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).
He added that any party facing organisational decline 'should focus on rebuilding itself rather than blaming rival parties for its decline.'
Shinde's 'Trailer' Warning
The remarks came a day after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself dropped heavy hints of a larger political shift in Maharashtra. Addressing party workers on Friday, Shinde deployed sharp rhetoric against opposition leaders who have been targeting him over the rumoured defection of 6 Shiv Sena-UBT MPs, declaring: 'This is just the trailer, the movie is still to come.'
Together, the statements from Shah, Shinde, and Kadu signal a coordinated offensive by the ruling faction ahead of what is shaping up to be a prolonged battle over Maharashtra's political landscape — with the Shinde camp betting that time, resources, and defections will consolidate its dominance well into the next decade.
Point of View
Shinde, and Kadu is not accidental — it reads like a psychological operation aimed at accelerating defections from Shiv Sena-UBT before those MPs have a chance to reconsider. Kadu's 2032 projection is the most telling detail: it signals that the Shinde faction is no longer fighting for survival but positioning for long-term dominance. The Thackeray camp's real vulnerability is not the loss of MPs per se, but the narrative that defection is inevitable — once that takes hold at the grassroots, the organisational bleed becomes self-reinforcing. What mainstream coverage misses is that Shinde's 'trailer' warning is as much directed at his own wavering allies as it is at the opposition.
NationPress
20 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Amit Shah say about Shiv Sena factions in Maharashtra?
At a public gathering in Kolhapur, Home Minister Amit Shah declared that there is no longer any 'faction' in Maharashtra's politics — only 'one authentic Shiv Sena' led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The remark was seen as a direct jibe at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT.
What did Bachchu Kadu say about the 2029 and 2032 elections?
Kadu said the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is preparing not just for the 2029 general elections but also for the 2032 Maharashtra Assembly polls, signalling long-term confidence in the faction's political trajectory.
Why did Kadu claim Shiv Sena-UBT workers want to join the Shinde camp?
Kadu said his district tours across Maharashtra gave him a ground-level view that a large number of Uddhav Thackeray faction workers are interested in switching to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. He did not provide specific numbers or districts to substantiate the claim.
What did Eknath Shinde mean by 'the trailer' remark?
Speaking to party workers on Friday, Shinde said 'This is just the trailer, the movie is still to come' — widely interpreted as a warning of further political shifts, reportedly linked to rumours that 6 Shiv Sena-UBT MPs may defect to his camp.
What is the current status of the Shiv Sena split in Maharashtra?
Maharashtra's Shiv Sena has been divided since 2022 into the Eknath Shinde-led faction, which holds the party name and symbol by Election Commission order, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT. The two groups have been in a sustained political and legal contest over legitimacy and membership.
