Deepak Kesarkar, a prominent Shiv Sena leader, has emphasised the need to duly acknowledge the leadership of Eknath Shinde, stating that the recent Maharashtra assembly elections were fought under his guidance. Kesarkar further added that it is now up to the BJP's central leadership to determine how to uphold Shinde’s stature within the political framework of the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on Monday, Kesarkar highlighted Shinde’s significant role in leading the Shiv Sena as part of the Mahayuti alliance, which also includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar. The alliance emerged victorious in the November 20 assembly elections, securing a total of 230 out of 288 seats. Of these, the BJP claimed 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 57 and the NCP with 41.