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Claims Minister Uday Samant: Sena (UBT) Has Lost Its Independence, Now Functioning Under Congress’s Command.
- by Webdesk
- 08 Aug 2025
Source: The Times Of India
Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Thursday leveled sharp accusations against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), claiming that the party is effectively being controlled by the Congress. Speaking to media personnel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Samant questioned the ideological contradictions in Sena (UBT)’s current political approach. He pointed out the apparent irony in Sena (UBT) holding talks with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, while maintaining an alliance with the Congress—a party, he noted, that has repeatedly shown disrespect towards Veer Savarkar, a revered figure in Maharashtra’s political and historical landscape.
“Sena (UBT) is speaking of aligning with MNS on one hand, and on the other hand, they are embracing Congress, a party that has maligned Savarkar. This clearly shows that Sena (UBT) is no longer functioning independently; it is being operated under Congress’s influence,” Samant alleged. Addressing the criticism regarding Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s frequent visits to Delhi, Samant came to Shinde’s defense, explaining that his son Shrikant Shinde, a Lok Sabha MP, and other important party members are based in the national capital. “What’s wrong in a father meeting his son and coordinating with party MPs during such visits? Isn’t that far more genuine than indulging in dinners with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi?” he asked pointedly, taking a jab at the Thackeray family’s proximity to Congress leadership.
When questioned about opposition concerns over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the recent elections, Samant dismissed the allegations as baseless. He said that the Election Commission of India has already provided detailed and repeated clarifications regarding the functioning and integrity of EVMs. According to him, if the opposition, particularly Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members, still doubt the system, they should take concrete steps to prove their conviction.
“If these elected leaders genuinely believe that the EVMs were tampered with, they should resign from their current positions and contest the elections once again. Let the people decide,” Samant said, throwing the ball in the opposition’s court. He further emphasized that the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and others—would jointly contest the upcoming local self-government body elections. “We will go into these polls as one unified front. In certain areas where local leaders or party workers have differing views, those perspectives will be respected and addressed accordingly,” he clarified.
Samant’s remarks reflect the ruling coalition’s attempt to counter the growing noise from the opposition ahead of the critical BMC and municipal elections. The strategy appears focused on highlighting ideological mismatches in the opposition ranks while reinforcing the Mahayuti’s image as a stable and ideologically coherent alliance.
As election momentum builds across Maharashtra, such war-of-words and strategic narratives are expected to intensify further, setting the stage for a heated and highly competitive political battle.
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