When Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde called himself a tiger, he was drawing on a deep strand of imagery in Maharashtra politics. The roaring tiger was synonymous with the undivided Shiv Sena from its earliest years, as it grew from a social outfit seeking jobs for the Marathi manoos in the 1960s and '70s into a regional political force from the 1980s onwards.
The bid now to poach six of Uddhav-led Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs has reportedly been code-named 'Operation Tiger' by the Shinde camp. Team Uddhav's retorts also draw from the animal kingdom.
Shinde said, 'This tiger is in front of you,' while Team Uddhav retorted, 'Kuttey jhund mein aake bhaunkte hain, sher akela aata hai — dogs bark in packs, but a lion comes alone.'
Shinde also defended his decision to split the Sena in 2022-23, saying, 'People support the decision we took four years ago.' He moved to other animals at this point: 'A wolf wearing a tiger's skin does not become a tiger.'
The response from Sena (UBT) came on social media, with some biting metaphors. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut posted an image on X with Hindi text translating to: 'Some people are dogs indeed, but they are not loyal.'
