INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: A day after a Shiv Sena advertisement issued in newspapers across the state edged out deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and
led to a controversy, with reports of friction between Sena and its alliance partner BJP, the party led by chief minister Eknath Shinde
published a new advertisement on Wednesday
The fresh ad had photos of Shinde and Fadnavis, of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe and also of
all nine Shiv Sena ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government.The ad also featured the Sena's bow and arrow symbol and BJP's lotus symbol
However, no BJP minister from the state other than Fadnavis featured in the ad.Tuesday's ad by Sena had a photo of Modi and Shinde but not
of Fadnavis, and it had quoted a survey stating that 26.1% of people preferred Shinde as CM while 23.2% wanted Fadnavis for CM
'Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra,' the ad had stated, drawing angry reactions from the state BJP.State BJP president Chandrashekar
Bawankule on Wednesday said the Shinde-led Sena had rectified the mistake and corrected the "mischief" that had taken place
He said, "Sena released a new advertisement in good spirit
They should be congratulated for this
This is what Maharashtra expects
This is what the coalition expects."However, BJP MP Anil Bonde in an indirect dig at the chief minister said that "no matter how much a frog
swells, it does not become an elephant and Thane is not Maharashtra." Hitting back at Bonde, Shinde group leader Sanjay Gaikwad said that
chief minister Shinde was "a tiger" and it was because of the "50 tigers (50 MLAs) that BJP ministers have got a place in the
cabinet."Meanwhile, Wednesday's ad mentioned that Shinde's and Fadnavis's leadership had the support of 49.3% of the people, without showing
the percentage obtained separately by the two in the survey that was being quoted.WatchEknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis together in new
ad but is the damage done?
