Amit Shah: Only one Shiv Sena remains

Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, that the Eknath Shinde faction is now the sole Shiv Sena. "Earlier, people had to say 'Shiv Sena-Shinde faction' after Eknath Shinde ji's name," Shah stated. "Now no faction remains anymore... there is only one Shiv Sena."

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Earlier, people had to say 'Shiv Sena-Shinde faction' after Eknath Shinde ji's name. Now no faction remains anymore... there is only one Shiv Sena.

The declaration follows reports that six of Uddhav Thackeray's nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped a parliamentary meeting and intend to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. This move is expected to formalize the merger and strengthen the BJP-led NDA government at the center.

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Shinde has shown which is the real Shiv Sena to everybody.

For the BJP, which has supported actions eroding Uddhav Thackeray's party since Shinde's 2022 split, Shah's statement marks a strategic victory. He had previously stated that Shinde showed "which is the real Shiv Sena to everybody."

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Everyone knows Amit Shah owns Shinde's party.

While the BJP has publicly distanced itself from the split, claiming Thackeray's MPs are leaving voluntarily, senior Sena leaders suggest the plan was conceived after the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. They believe the move aims to increase the NDA's parliamentary numbers to pass the Delimitation Bill, with the BJP fearing a loss of mandate in 2029.

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The BJP is behind this entire plan, but Eknath Shinde has been made the figurehead. This plan was executed to increase the NDA's headcount in Parliament so they can pass the Delimitation Bill. The BJP fears losing its mandate in the 2029 Lok Sab