Shivsena’s Eknath Shinde stuns everyone with ‘do not take me lightly’ remark amid rumoured ’cold war’ with CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's ‘do not take me lightly’ remark on Friday, amid ongoing rumoured unease between him and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has raised eyebrows.

Shinde made the remark while commenting on a recent death threat made by an unknown person against him. An email threatened to detonate a bomb in Shinde's car.

"Threats have come before too. There were many threats when the dance bar was closed. There were threats to kill me, and attempts were made, but I was not afraid. The Naxalites had threatened me, but I did not give in to their threats... I did the work of starting the first industrial project in Gadchiroli," Shinde was quoted as saying in an ANI report.

However, Shinde's ‘lightly’ remark has stunned everyone.

Stating that he is a normal party worker, but a worker of Bala Saheb, Shinde said, “Do not take me lightly; I have already said this to those who have taken me lightly.”

Why did Eknath Shinde ask not to take him lightly?

Speaking to the media, Shinde said that when he was taken lightly in 2022, the horse turned around, and he changed the government (referring to the fall of the MVA government).

"In my first speech in the Vidhan Sabha, I said that Devendra Fadnavis ji would get more than 200 seats, and we got 232 seats. That is why do not take me lightly; those who want to understand this hint, they should understand it, and I will continue doing my work," Shinde added, asserting his political influence and commitment to serving the people of Maharashtra.

Reports have claimed that rifts have gripped the ruling Mahayuti government amid disagreements over the guardian minister posts to taking separate review meetings to separate medical cells and 'war rooms' for monitoring projects.

In November, the BJP-led three-party coalition swept the Assembly elections, winning 230 of the 288 seats and virtually decimating the Opposition MVA.