In Thane’s Kopari-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency, three-time winner Eknath Shinde will face off against his mentor Anand Dighe’s nephew, Kedar Dighe.
Shinde has been an MLA from the Kopari-Pachpakhadi constituency three times since 2009. He served as Thane’s guardian minister and was a local civic body corporator, starting as a rookie Sena worker in the 80s under Dighe’s guidance. Kedar, a former software analyst, left his SAP job to join Sena full-time in 2010. He led the party’s youth wing in Thane and is now its district in-charge.
His nomination has energised the small group of Dighe loyalists in Thane who have remained with Thackeray’s Sena.
Reporter: Shweta Desai
camera: Dinesh Parab
Editor: Sudhanshu
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Shinde has been an MLA from the Kopari-Pachpakhadi constituency three times since 2009. He served as Thane’s guardian minister and was a local civic body corporator, starting as a rookie Sena worker in the 80s under Dighe’s guidance. Kedar, a former software analyst, left his SAP job to join Sena full-time in 2010. He led the party’s youth wing in Thane and is now its district in-charge.
His nomination has energised the small group of Dighe loyalists in Thane who have remained with Thackeray’s Sena.
Reporter: Shweta Desai
camera: Dinesh Parab
Editor: Sudhanshu
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#MaharashtraElections2024 #ShivSena #NCP #Congress #EknathShinde #AjitPawar #MarathiAsmita #Maharashtra #UddhavThackeray #SharadPawar #Thane
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NewsTranscript
00:00You are contesting from Oprih Paths Pakhadi constituency.
00:04This has also been a constituency of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
00:09And Mr. Shinde has had a long hold on this region particularly.
00:16Was it a personal decision of yours to contest against Mr. Shinde
00:22because of the split that has happened and the family relations?
00:28Or you know Mr. Shinde's mentor is your uncle.
00:33So it's a bit complex and emotional issue for the people as well.
00:38So just tell us like why the decision to contest from Oprih Paths Pakhadi?
00:44So I work in a party whereby the decisions are made by the higher ones and you need to follow it.
00:50We are the Shiva Sainiks. We are the Sainiks.
00:53So it's been always a decision from Uddhav Sir and we are very much clear on the grounds
01:00that whatever the decision comes from Uddhav Sir, I need to follow it.
01:03And the same way this happened that he said that we need to contest Oprih Paths Pakhadi.
01:08And I think with the years of experience what he is having as a party chief,
01:12if he thinks that I am capable enough to handle this situation and contest against the CM,
01:17I am very much comfortable. I don't feel any pressure.
01:21The reason being for past three years since the split,
01:25the party workers who have been working since DG Sir's time,
01:31they have been blessing me, they are with me, they have stood beside me
01:35for each and every struggle what I have been doing for three years.
01:38So I am very much comfortable on the grounds.
01:41And I believe that any party worker who becomes a Neta or an MLA or an MP or a Minister
01:50is just with the blessings of the people.
01:52So if people decide to change this thing, they can do it.
01:56Will your campaign have a strong emotional pitch that you are nephew of Mr. Anand DG,
02:06who is mentor of Chief Minister Shinde as well.
02:10And since the split particularly, we have seen Mr. Shinde routinely,
02:16regularly talking about Mr. DG's legacy and claiming himself as the real heir of Mr. DG.
02:25How do you look at him when you are projecting your name as Kedar DG?
02:30See I will tell you, to be very honest, my relations with DG Sir is the blood relation.
02:37So I need not start with a movie to establish my relation.
02:42I am not a false one at all.
02:44If Mr. Shinde is saying that he carries his legacy, see it is what he is saying.
02:50The people has to decide.
02:52If you go around the Thane district and also in the Palghar district,
02:56you will realize the fact that each and every party worker who is there within Sena
03:01and anybody within Thane who really praises Mr. Anand DG.
03:07So DG Sir was such a mentor for everyone.
03:12The way he had spent his entire life, so the people have seen and taken lot of values,
03:18ethics and principles from him.
03:20They follow his footsteps, they follow what the social work he did,
03:24though being in the political party.
03:26So I believe each of these party workers, each of the senior most leaders within Thane,
03:33they have been praising him like anything and these are the guys who follow his legacy.
03:38So anyone who is doing a good work for the society without his own benefits and interest,
03:44I believe he is the legal leader hire for DG Sir.
03:48Regarding Mr. Shinde what he is talking about,
03:52I don't think that he really follows his values and principles.
03:56The reason being DG Sir for his entire life had always been with Shiva Sena,
04:01the original Shiva Sena of Bansal.
04:03For 365 days, 24 hours around the clock he has been working for the people.
04:08So when this comes into picture, I don't think that Mr. Shinde is really following those values.
04:16DG Sir has never done his own advertisement for each and everything.
04:20The place where he used to stay, the Anand Mad, he never placed his own name plate over there.
04:25But now these guys have placed their own party name along with his own name.
04:30Navratri Utsav, Ganpati Festival, Dahi Handi, anything you name it.
04:35DG Sir started with an intention that every caste, creed, religion should come together
04:41and be a part of all these things.
04:43But he never placed his name, never placed his photo just to make a hype of everything.
04:48But these guys did the other way round.
04:51The latest episode was that people spend out money, they flush out money within his own Anand Mad,
04:59which DG Sir never did it.
05:01And the one whom you treasure a lot, whom you praise a lot,
05:06you never stand before him in Hinduism along with your footwear and everything
05:11and you stand in front of him and do all the things what they have been doing.
05:17Just for the sake of saying, it's good to hear, but people have to decide what they really want
05:23and whom they really treasure like a legal hire of DG Sir.
05:28But do you consider Mr. Shinde to be the political heir at least of Anandi Gate?
05:35See, I won't deny the fact that he has never done a social work or never done the party work.
05:42But the thing is, for past three years back, what he had did was never in the blood of DG Sir.
05:49Anandi Gate Sir had always been to his last breath,
05:52has been very much devoted towards Bhagwa, towards Shiva Sena, the original Shiva Sena.
05:59And Mr. Shinde did the other way round.
06:02So, you don't think Mr. DG would have had approved of the actions of rebellion,
06:11of leaving the party with 40 MLAs, he would not have supported that?
06:15No, what for? I mean, the question comes, for what?
06:19DG Sir never wanted to be a CM, DG Sir never wanted to be a minister,
06:24DG Sir never contested an election.
06:27Whatever Dharmavid DG Sir did was for the people.
06:32He always stood for the people, he lived for the people,
06:35and till his last breath he was with the people.
06:39So, I don't think any personal intentions for himself, for his family, those were never there.
06:46And that's the reason I think that DG Sir won't have helped or rather supported this type of idea.
06:52Okay, what Mr. Shinde has also said that, you know, there was a lot of injustice against him
06:57and those bitter experiences made him leave the party.
07:00Do you really believe that it was that reason or that his aspirations to be
07:05maybe a Chief Minister of Maharashtra which made him left?
07:09So, two things, one thing is injustice against whom?
07:13Injustice against himself or is he saying about DG Sir?
07:18Because both the things he has said, first he started with that there was injustice to him,
07:24then he started with that DG Sir was also being criticized, was also being in trouble,
07:29these people have never supported DG Sir.
07:33Now, to answer both of these questions, first of all we go to DG Sir, okay.
07:39DG Sir had lived entire life within Shiva Sena, okay.
07:45When DG Sir expired, okay, for past 23 years, the most of the benefit or the most of the best of the things,
07:54if anyone would have, what is Mr. Shinde?
07:58He had been an MLA, his son had been an MP, he himself had become Minister, okay,
08:06the Guardian Minister of Thane, then he become the Urban Minister, now he is being the Chief Minister.
08:12When he got everything in this party, how can you define that there was injustice to him, okay, or to his family?
08:20So, just for the sake of saying and just trying to convince the people, okay,
08:27that whatever the step he has taken for splitting this party is right, I mean this is something very foolish.
08:35Okay, you are a debutant candidate for this election and you are contesting against a bigwig like the CM himself
08:45and again there are lots of emotional, familial, political clashes between the two of you.
08:51How are you preparing for this contest and what are your main priorities for this constituency
09:00given the fact that Mr. Shinde has a very strong hold on this region?
09:05See, there are, while contesting an election or whether the elections are there or not,
09:11as you said, there are, first of all, I would like to clear that there are not something or anything that is very personal,
09:17not from his end, not from my end.
09:20The reason being is he is riding his car on a different road, I am riding my car on a different road.
09:26Both of the ethics, principles, values, the ideas are different.
09:31The understanding or fighting a big giant CM over here who is having his hold for past 20 years,
09:42the upcoming election is about development.
09:46I am asking a question that on the grounds that you have always been fought of development,
09:53as a press reporter, I would request you that it's better if you go down the line
10:00and see what Kopri Pachpakadi is all about.
10:03You would see that there are no developments internally, just making the roads widening,
10:09just making them something very, glorifying everything, just making it lightning during the festivals.
10:15Has that changed anyone's life? Has that changed the common person or the common public's life?
10:22There has not been a single change.
10:24There have been enough issues within this Kopri Pachpakadi which these guys have never addressed.
10:29I don't know why.
10:31And there are 2-3 things what I would like to highlight.
10:35In a constituency like Kopri Pachpakadi, whereby the number of people who are residing over there,
10:42they are not having a super specialty hospital till date, till time.
10:47They are not having the water provision in a right way.
10:51People are in trouble for water. People are in trouble for electricity.
10:56People are getting trouble for the traffic jam day in, day out.
11:01There is a big issue of dumping ground, which no one has addressed.
11:06There have been enough of protests for that.
11:08But till date, till time, there has not been a solution.
11:11Now when you are placing a particular dumping ground in an area or in a periphery,
11:16whereby the residents are there, just imagine the situation that we standing beside a dustbin.
11:23We can't be there for just 15-10 minutes.
11:28But over there, day in, day out, the dumpers are coming over there.
11:32People have to leave over there.
11:33People, what they are experiencing is about the foul smell.
11:36And because of that, their health issues.
11:39Who is going to address that?
11:41They have been stating that about the clusters.
11:43They have been stating about the slums.
11:45They have been stating about the redevelopment projects, which are halted for past 10-15 years.
11:50So your fight with your opponent is not on an ideological basis, but on development issues.
11:57I would say both.
11:58Because the thing is, what you have been trying to convince the people through the movies
12:03is a false image what you are giving to the people about Diggesaad.
12:07And you are trying to project yourself, not Diggesaad.
12:11If you wanted to create a picture about Dharmavir, then it should have been Dharmavir right from the start till the end.
12:16But you never did it.
12:17You started with your own movie past the interval session of the first movie.
12:22And then the second one was also based on you.
12:25What for?
12:26Hindutva, what he is trying to explain is not such a narrow thing.
12:30In Diggesaad's dictionary, it was as such that if you are saying that Hindutva is something really great,
12:38that doesn't mean that different religions are something very bad.
12:42You have to respect them.
12:43Do you think Diggesaad was never against Muslims?
12:48Because in the movie if you see, he has projected there have been comments against Muslims.
12:54That's what I want to say, that you are projecting something different.
12:57So whenever the riots were there, you can go to Hajuri, you can go to Mahagiri, you can go to Raburi.
13:04Even today there are Muslims who are praising him like anything.
13:08Those were the family relations what he shared.
13:11Those were not political.
13:12And till date, till time, even I am getting blessings from them.
13:16What for?
13:17So he never made this division?
13:19Never.
13:20And he was above all these things.
13:22He never made a difference between religion, any caste, any creed, nothing.
13:26He understood only one thing that I am there just to serve the people and I will serve the people.
13:32He never, never during his tenure, I don't think that he has taken someone
13:37that you are from Congress or you are from Rashtrapati, you are a Muslim, you are a Sikh.
13:41Never.
13:42He just came up with an idea that people are coming with a problem and I need to resolve it.
13:47So do you think or are you claiming that CM Shinde has basically used the name and the personality
13:57of Mr. Anand Dighe to further his political career?
14:01I was never, I have never said that.
14:04But Dharmavir 1 and 2 has started an idea or making a picture clear that he has been using it in such a way.
14:12He has been using it in the wrong way and I have objected to it.
14:16Now, enough of their speeches of themselves and as well as their leaders for past three years
14:22that had been always been in a way whereby they have been saying that injustice was done to Dighe sir.
14:29Where were you for past 23 years?
14:31Why didn't you raise a question?
14:32When you are saying him Guruvayoor, why don't you ask the question to the people who are doing injustice?
14:37And for past 23 years, you have been keeping quiet.
14:41What for?
14:42You have been an MLA, your son has been an MP, you enjoyed your ministry tenure within Shiva Sinha
14:49where Uddhav sir was the Paksha Pramukh and you never raised a question.
14:53And now when you have split it up, 23 years you took to get a question asking that Dighe sir was in problem.
15:01There was injustice to him.
15:03Then as a student or as a shishya of Dighe sir, if injustice were done,
15:10then you should have raised the point on the very first day.
15:13You should have been aloof from all this.
15:15But you never did.
15:16You enjoyed all the benefits of everything and now you are coming up with all these questions.
15:21So this raises a question that where were your punches, where was your ideology?
15:27What you are saying that you are following Dighe sir, Dighe sir was never like that.
15:30If injustice is done, Dighe sir used to do left right centre, he used to get justice then and there.
15:35Right, but since becoming the new chief of Shiva Sinha,
15:42there are two factions now, the faction that Mr. Shinde is heading.
15:47He has definitely made an attempt to uplift the image of Mr. Dighe.
15:53We are seeing more on public forums as well as holdings.
15:58Whenever there is a photo of Mr. Shinde, you will see Bharat Thackeray and Anand Dighe both side by side.
16:04And he is claiming that I am a student of both.
16:08These both are my mentors.
16:11Definitely outside the Thane region, more people have become aware of Mr. Dighe
16:15and there is an idea that Mr. Shinde is the real heir.
16:21See I have always said one thing.
16:23Why do you think this is happening?
16:24Why the use of Mr. Dighe in campaigning or in the political personality of Mr. Shinde
16:33that is being built after Sinha as well?
16:36How do you look at this?
16:38So one thing is if someone is praising his mentor,
16:41if someone is praising his leader who has helped him build a career, then it's fine.
16:50If something he is doing good for the society with their name, I am okay for it.
16:56But if you are projecting something about a wrong picture
16:59and if you are taking a disadvantage about it, then I would object to it.
17:02When there comes a point where you are trying to project yourself
17:07and what has not been done, you are trying to showcase it in a wrong way to the people,
17:12trying to convince them that whatever step you have taken about splitting this is the right one.
17:17You are trying to convince those people and that is wrong.
17:21What is particularly objectionable that you found?
17:24So about Dharmavir 1 and 2, Mr. Dighe was never in such a way.
17:29He never had this so-called Hindutva.
17:32There was a saying called as Garwa Se Kavo Hum Hindu Hai.
17:36That is true. Even I can say that and I am saying it.
17:40But Garwa Se Kavo Hum Hindu Hai doesn't make a sense
17:44when you say that he is a Muslim, he is a Sikh, he is a Christian.
17:48You have to respect them for their religion from where they have been born.
17:52So this type of false projecting
17:55and making someone convince for the wrong thing that you have done is objectionable.
18:00So you are saying that he was never this Kattar Hindutva who was against Muslims
18:05or who basically was anti-Muslim.
18:09No, I am saying that he was a Kattar Hindutva.
18:12But he used to respect the other religion.
18:14He never did any politics coming up to the religion part or the caste, never.
18:24He had taken everyone together and seen through it
18:28that the development of Thane city is done, that the people in Thane are getting benefited.
18:33And if Mr. Dighe would have been alive today, he would not have had a proof of Mr. Shinde's…
18:40These ideas, what you are saying, you are giving enough of the reasons to convince people.
18:45First you said that there was injustice to us.
18:49Then you said that Ajit Pawar never gave the funds from his finance ministry.
18:54Then you said that Uddhosa never gave time.
18:57Then you came up with an ideology, the idea stating that there was injustice to Dighe.
19:04So which are the reasons for what you have left?
19:07Something should be concrete.
19:09Every time you keep on changing and then you try to convince.
19:13But when the people are not getting convinced, you keep on coming up with new reasons.
19:16That's not good.
19:18So in your campaign, apart from these infrastructure issues,
19:25would you be also talking to people about this misuse of your uncle's ideology
19:34and the way he is being used and projected in Mr. Shinde's campaign?
19:39See, I would say that this should come up from public.
19:42I know for sure what is wrong, but people should realize it.
19:46And people do know for sure that what he is trying to project is something wrong.
19:51The only thing is, if people are keeping quiet,
19:53I believe at the time of voting, they will get the right decision.
19:57How was your relationship with Mr. Shinde prior to him splitting the party?
20:02Always good.
20:03Because the thing is, there was never self-interest.
20:06There was no monetary relations.
20:11There were no fights or any friction between me and him.
20:17Nothing to do about it.
20:19Okay.
20:20The Shinde Sena leaders have claimed that you are not even from the Khami region.
20:27You stay in Murul.
20:28And basically, you contesting this election is just...
20:32So I reside in... I'm having my father's flat there in Murul.
20:38As well as, I'm having my own flat in Viyang Valley, which is in Godbandar.
20:41Okay.
20:42So, which comes under this Mahanagar Palika area, this municipal corporation area.
20:48And I voted during this Lok Sabha or the earlier election within this vicinity.
20:55Okay.
20:56So, that means in 146, which is Ollamaniwara.
20:58So, if someone is saying that, so they are having half of the information.
21:01Okay.
21:02So, that doesn't make a difference.
21:03And what is your big aspirations for Khami if you were to win this election?
21:08What are the big changes that you would want to usher in this?
21:12See, the people have always been living with false dreams, false commitment for past 15-20 years.
21:18I want to take them out of those.
21:20Okay.
21:21I want to make a real change for their futures.
21:25Okay.
21:26Whether their son, whether their daughter, they should be safe.
21:29And that safe, that safety, I want to make it assured to them.
21:33I want them a good education.
21:35I want whichever school they go, whether it's a private or a public, the government schools, that should be absolutely great.
21:42They shouldn't feel that the ambience over there is not suitable for them to get educated.
21:48I want some academies over here whereby they can excel into those.
21:52I want the hospitals to be there whereby each and every poor to the rich,
21:56they should feel that, okay, I am in the right place for my health care.
22:01I want something which is very much a safe place for the woman.
22:05I want the roads to be absolutely intact, not a provision and the taxpayers' money going in the potholes.
22:11I don't want this dumping to be over there whereby the hygiene is going to be affected.
22:15So many of the things I want to do, but there should be a start of it.
22:20And I think that there will be a start.
22:22Okay.
22:23Just one last question.
22:24After the split happened, majority of Shiv Sena's organization and cadre moved with Mr. Shinde.
22:33Is that a challenge for you currently that you have enough organizational support, ground support from your people?
22:43How are you working around this?
22:46So, right from day one till date, I have always been telling that the people who make leaders, they are with us.
22:54The people who vote for these leaders, they are with us.
22:57So these leaders have left, not the people, not the party workers.
23:01I am very much happy and blessed to get all these colleagues of mine,
23:06get all these elderly people who have been working right from BK Saab's age, from his time till date.
23:12And with their experience, I am leading a very much successful political career.
23:17Okay.
23:18And if you want to, like this election would also, like in the Lok Sabha election, we had this narrative that, you know, which is the real Sena.
23:26This time the question is, who is the real heir of Mr. BK?
23:30Are you ready to take that?
23:32See, I will tell you what, praising myself is not going to help.
23:36I believe that people should do it.
23:38And it should come out from the people's mouth.
23:41So if people start saying that, then it's worth.
23:44My relation with BK Saab was never political.
23:47Those were blood relations which no one can wipe it out.
23:51Okay.
23:52But when it comes to a political career, I believe that people should bless and people should absolutely see the change,
23:59what they never saw, never seen for the past 15-20 years.
24:03That would be a real Shraddha Nilay to me.
24:05But do you want to take on this question head on that, you know,
24:10will this election really prove that who is the real heir of Mr. BK?
24:15I mean, see, that people has to decide.
24:17That's what I'm saying.
24:18See, my personal relations can't say that whether I am the legal heir or not.
24:23I am absolutely legal heir in Hindutva.
24:26When you do the Agni part of your father or your uncle, it's said to be the legal heir.
24:32So I'm being there on that particular thing.
24:35But I don't want to keep on advertising that.
24:37I am saying that let me work for the people, what the change they need to have,
24:41what the basic needs that we need to fulfill for them.
24:45We need to do it.
24:46And what these guys are not done, they are given always the false commitment and false dream,
24:50which these guys have been living for past 15-20 years.
24:52So let them come out of those.
24:54Let make them realize that you can have a better life.
24:57And if I can provide them with these basic amenities and have a better life,
25:01I believe that that will be the real Shraddha Nehru to be received.