Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated a medical camp in Maharashtra’s Thane city on the eve of the birth anniversary of late Anand Dighe, a hugely popular politician considered the mentor of Chief Minister Eknath
Shinde.
Dighe’s massive popularity made Thane one of the safest seats of the undivided Sena but Shinde’s rebellion last June led to a vast majority of the rank and file in the region moving to the latter’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.
Thackeray’s visit as well as the mega medical camp organised to commemorate Dighe’s anniversary, which falls of Friday, are being seen as an attempt to rebuild the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Thane.
He also paid floral tribute to Dighe at Anand Math, the de facto centre of the Sena movement in Thane for decades now.
Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said Shiv Sena and Maharashtra have been defamed due to the “betrayal and defections” that took place, a reference to Shinde and 39 MLAs bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Thackeray said Thursday’s visit was a brief one to take care of the “health of citizens here” but promised he would return to address a mass gathering to take care of the “political health of Thanekars”.