With only a few months to go till the crucial 2024 Parliamentary elections, Maharashtra State Chief Eknath Shinde on Monday compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a lion and the opposition to a herd of sheep and goats, saying Modi's rivals won’t be able to put up a fight against the PM.
Speaking to a Hindi news channel, Shinde said: “The opposition only thinks about defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I do not see anywhere the opposition is putting up a fight.”
“I will not call opposition vultures but sheep and goats cannot come together to put up a fight against a lion in a jungle. A lion is always a lion and he would rule the jungle,” he added.
Maharashtra is one of the key states as far as the 2024 General elections are concerned because it accounts for the second-highest number of parliamentarians, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
The state has 48 lawmakers in the Lower House while Uttar Pradesh has 80.
The Maharashtra State Chief also talked about the status of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state, claiming that there is "no threat" to his government thanks to the support of 215 legislators.
“After Ajit Pawar decided to join us, my government (BJP-Shiv Sena-Ajit Pawar faction of NCP) enjoys the support of 215 plus MLAs. There is no threat to the government,” Shinde said.
Without naming his predecessor and former party colleague Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena politician said: “We are doing work for the people. People will decide whether they want someone who works for them or the one who merely sits at home.”
Shinde along with 39 other members parted ways from the formerly united Shiv Sena in June 2022 toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government in Maharashtra.
Later, the Shinde-led faction joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and formed the government in the state, with Shinde becoming the state chief.