Thane, October 19, 2025: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde used a Diwali-season rally in Thane on Saturday to project a twin message: solidarity with flood-hit farmers in Marathwada and firm political posture against rival Sena factions. In a speech that mixed assurance on relief measures with pointed political rhetoric, Shinde said the state government was “fully committed” to compensating those affected by recent floods and pledged that it would not allow their Diwali celebrations to be marred by loss and hardship.

Speaking to a packed gathering of party workers and supporters, Shinde described his administration’s response to the calamity as prompt and hands-on. He said Shiv Sena activists had been ordered to prioritise relief work over festival or rally duties, and that distribution of assistance kits had already begun in affected areas. “Diwali has begun, and we’re celebrating it with joy. But amidst the celebrations, there’s sadness in Marathwada due to the floods, and farmers are crying,” he said. “We’re not going to let their Diwali be dark. We’ve taken a decision and the compensation money is being distributed.”

Shinde framed the relief effort as part of a broader commitment by the Mahayuti-led state government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to expedite financial assistance and restore normalcy. He claimed the government had fast-tracked payments and mobilised party workers to support recovery operations, insisting that the administration was moving swiftly to address immediate needs such as food, shelter and crop compensation. While he did not spell out detailed figures or timelines in the speech, his public assurances were aimed at calming farmers and households who suffered crop loss, inundation or damage to property in the recent rains and floods.

A political edge

Alongside his relief assurances, Shinde injected a strongly political note into his address. Without naming individuals directly, he took aim at rival Sena factions and leaders who, he argued, had abandoned the party’s core principles. “Some leaders were saying that if two Thackerays come together, there’ll be fireworks. But Thane’s people will show them who’s the boss. Those who don’t stand by their principles will be rejected by the people,” he declared, in a clear swipe at potential alliances between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Shinde’s invocation of party icons and martyrs underlined the emotional tenor of his attack. He warned those he called “sellouts” of political retribution at the ballot box: “Those who sold the Shiv Sena will get ‘tikli’ from the people, but we’ll finish off our opponents with our unity and strength.” The comment invoked long-standing intra-Sena rivalries that have reshaped Maharashtra politics since the split in the party some years ago.

Personal branding and crisis response

Beyond the partisan barbs, Shinde made it a point to highlight his personal involvement in relief work as emblematic of his leadership style. “Wherever there is disaster, Shiv Sena is there, and wherever there is crisis, there is your Eknath Shinde,” he told the gathering, presenting himself as a leader who acts rather than just speaks. He recounted directing party workers to stay away from festival events and help farmers instead, and emphasised that he had personally overseen aspects of the response.

That appeal to direct action was coupled with an implicit contrast with political rivals. Shinde said those who had levelled accusations of opportunism against him—or alleged he had insulted party elders such as the late Anand Dighe—would be taught a lesson by the electorate. “The people of Thane would teach a lesson to those who’ve insulted Anand Dighe Saheb. Balasaheb and Anand Dighe Saheb are in our hearts and blood,” he said, invoking the emotional resonance that such symbols still hold in local political culture.

Relief on the ground

Shinde’s speech claimed that party workers had delivered assistance and that the state had initiated payments. He reiterated that the state administration was coordinating to ensure compensation payments reached affected families promptly, and that specific teams had been tasked with ensuring relief distribution. While pledges were reiterated on stage, local administration officials and farmer groups have in the past demanded clear timelines and transparent mechanisms for crop damage assessment, disbursal of relief and rehabilitation. Those practical details—how damage will be assessed, what quantum of compensation will be offered, how quickly claims will be processed—were not elaborated in the rally speech.

The broader context

The Marathwada floods have repeatedly exposed the vulnerability of agricultural livelihoods in central Maharashtra, where infrastructure deficits and seasonal weather extremes combine to create cycles of distress. In this context, political leaders often respond with a mix of emergency relief and longer-term promises. For Shinde and the Shiv Sena, whose political fortunes are closely tied to rural support and identity politics in parts of the state, visible relief and swift compensation become both governance imperatives and electoral messaging tools.

At the same time, the political manoeuvring around possible Thackeray reunions adds another layer to the event. Raj Thackeray’s MNS commands pockets of influence in urban and regional pockets, while Uddhav Thackeray’s faction continues to contest political space on an identity and legacy platform. Shinde’s repeated assertions of loyalty to Shiv Sena founders and local icons are designed to shore up ground-level cadres and to signal to voters that his faction remains the legitimate custodian of the Sena’s legacy.

What comes next

For flood-hit farmers and their families, the immediate priority will be the disbursal of promised compensation and restoration of lost livelihoods and infrastructure. For Shinde and his party, the task is twofold: to demonstrate credible delivery—transparent assessment, timely payments and rehabilitation—and to ensure the relief narrative translates into political support ahead of local body polls and other electoral battles. Whether the central promises translate into smoothly executed relief on the ground will determine their political impact.

In Thane on Saturday, Shinde sought to combine spectacle with substance: a Diwali-era political rally that doubled as a pledge of aid. In the coming days, officials and civil society will be watching closely to see whether the compensation reach is as swift and comprehensive as promised—and whether the farmers who now pray for a brighter Diwali will indeed find their lights kept on by both government action and political good faith.