Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena now floats advertisement to appease BJP

Eknath Shinde. File Photo/PTI

A day after an uproar in the ally camp and harsh criticism from the Opposition over the media campaign that projected Eknath Shinde as the preferred choice for the CM's post next year and showed Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, the second preference, in a poor light, the Shiv Sena did some damage control by running another publicity campaign on Wednesday, apparently to appease the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Based on the same survey which was quoted on Tuesday, the new advertisement said 49.3 per cent of people wanted the United leadership of Shinde and Fadnavis. Apparently, it was an aggregate of the individual figures that were published on Tuesday while comparing the two leaders, with the Dy CM trailing behind the CM by three points.

It further said 46.4 per cent of people wanted the BJP-Sena alliance government again in the state. It featured all the missing elements of Tuesday's campaign. It carried Fadnavis' picture, slightly taller than Shinde both waving to the people. The Sena also corrected a major mistake that has invited hard-hitting reactions from the rival Sena faction and other opposition parties. The new campaign carried the Sena founder, late Balasaheb Thackeray, and Shinde's mentor Anand Dighe's pictures, along with the images of PM Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, who is de facto in-charge of the BJP's affairs in Maharashtra. Yesterday's advertisement featured only two people - Modi and Shinde. Today, the BJP's election symbol Lotus shared space with Sena's Bow and Arrow.

The content seemed to be carefully picked, unlike the previous artwork. The text stressed on the development of work-related survey findings such as 84 per cent of people's preference for PM Modi's leadership and 62 per cent favourable to the 'double engine' sarkar because it had propelled development.

"Because of PM Modi's support and guidance in the past one year, the state has made fast progress. The state is leading in basic infrastructure, education, health care and industry because of the leadership of CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis and a strong alliance of the Sena and BJP. The people are satisfied with the government's performance. People have preferred the alliance, because they see a dream state that they wished for, shaping up," said the campaign further.