Shinde vs. Raj Thackeray: ‘Manage Your Home First’ Jibe Heats Up Maharashtra Poll Battle

Mumbai: The battle for Mumbai’s civic body has turned personal, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launching a scathing attack on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday. Shinde’s remark, “Take care of your children first,” has ignited a fresh political firestorm just weeks ahead of the crucial municipal elections scheduled for January.

The verbal duel comes against the backdrop of a significant political realignment—the reunion of the estranged Thackeray cousins, Raj and Uddhav, who have reportedly joined forces to challenge the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

The Jibe: "How Will You Manage Mumbai?"

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde dismissed Raj Thackeray’s recent critiques of the state government’s handling of law and order. In a pointed reference to the MNS chief’s leadership, Shinde remarked:

“Those who cannot even take care of their own children, how will they manage Mumbai and the state? First, take care of your children.”

While Shinde did not elaborate further, political analysts view the statement as a double-edged sword—targeting both Raj Thackeray’s political track record and perhaps alluding to the struggles of his party, the MNS, to find a stable foothold in Maharashtra politics over the last decade.

The Trigger: Missing Children Crisis

The war of words was triggered by a letter Raj Thackeray wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, raising alarm over a spike in kidnapping cases.

In his letter, the MNS chief cited data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), highlighting a disturbing trend:

• 30% Rise: The number of missing children in Maharashtra has surged by nearly 30% between 2021 and 2024.
• Interstate Gangs: Thackeray alleged that organized interstate gangs are "systematically targeting young children," kidnapping them to force them into begging rackets.

“Small children are kidnapped and made to beg, but the government is not taking any action against the inter-state gangs involved in the racket,” Thackeray stated, demanding immediate intervention from the Home Department.

Context: The Cousins Reunite

The hostility between the Shinde faction and the MNS has deepened following reports of a strategic understanding between Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray.

For nearly two decades, the cousins operated on parallel tracks, often cutting into each other's vote banks. However, facing the formidable BJP-Shinde-Ajit Pawar alliance, the cousins have signaled a truce. The "Thackeray Reunion" is seen as a desperate bid to reclaim the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest civic body in Asia, which has long been the Shiv Sena’s fortress.

Shinde’s “manage your home” comment is widely interpreted as an attempt to puncture the narrative of this reunion, portraying the opposition as leaders struggling to manage their own political houses.

The Numbers: A Growing Concern

While the political blame game continues, the data cited by Raj Thackeray paints a grim picture of child safety in the state. According to recent reports:

• Mumbai’s alarming stats: In a recent 36-day period alone, over 82 children were reported missing in Mumbai.
• Recovery Rate: While police maintain that the recovery rate is high (over 90%), the opposition argues that the trauma inflicted on abducted children—many of whom are pushed into begging—remains unaddressed.

Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople

As Maharashtra heads into the January civic polls, the discourse has shifted from development to personal attacks. While Eknath Shinde’s retort is a sharp political maneuver to discredit the newfound Thackeray unity, the underlying issue raised by Raj Thackeray—the safety of Maharashtra’s children—requires urgent, non-partisan attention. The voters of Mumbai will now have to decide: will they vote on emotional family legacies or the grim realities of city safety?