Amidst the ongoing political turmoil in the State of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed his supporters in the hopes of getting their sympathies.
He lamented how the rebel leader Eknath Shinde had ‘betrayed’ Shiv Sena while the party continues to enjoy the support of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Sonia Gandhi’s Congress.
“We gave tickets to people who could not have won and we made them victorious. Those people have backstabbed us today,” Thackeray pinned the blame on Shinde while the latter had categorically pointed out how the Sena deviated from the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray. Interestingly, in this statement, Uddhav Thackeray seems to reduce the entire fiasco merely to politics, however, the fact that he allied with NCP and Congress, betraying the Hindutva ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray, finds no consideration in his monologue.
Congress and NCP are supporting us today, Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi have supported us. But our own people have backstabbed us. We gave tickets to people who could not have won and we made them victorious. Those people have backstabbed us today: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/p24tCCga6t
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Thackeray then claimed to have discussed the matter with Eknath Shinde. “He told me NCP-Congress are trying to finish us and MLAs want us to go with BJP. I told him to bring to me MLAs who want it,” he remarked.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister alleged to have given Shinde the freedom to go wherever he wanted along with rebel MLAs, only after consulting the party high command.
“BJP, that defamed our party, my family, is the one you are talking about going with. Such a question doesn’t even arise. If MLAs want to go there they can, all of them can. I won’t. If someone wants to go – be it an MLA or someone else – come & tell us and then go,” Thackeray added.
In this segment of his monologue, Uddhav Thackeray seems to forget that it was Shiv Sena who broke the alliance with BJP for their want of power. Uddhav Thackeray wanted to become to Chief Minister so desperately that he allied with Congress and NCP, who have campaigned against Hindus. At that time, several Shiv Sainiks were also miffed with the ideological betrayal of Uddhav and had quit the party.
BJP, that defamed our party, my family, is the one you are talking about going with. Such a question doesn’t even arise. If MLAs want to go there they can, all of them can. I won’t. If someone wants to go – be it an MLA or someone else – come & tell us and then go: Maharashtra CM pic.twitter.com/N8W0tGO7uP
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Uddhav Thackeray also sought to stir sympathy by evoking the legacy of the Shiv Sena’s founder.
“If you think I’m useless and incapable of running the party, tell me. I’m ready to separate myself from the party, you can tell me. You respected me so far because Balasaheb said so. If you say I am incapable, then I am ready to quit the party right at this moment,” he was heard as saying.
If you think I’m useless and incapable of running the party, tell me. I’m ready to separate myself from the party, you can tell me. You respected me so far because Balasaheb said so. If you say I am incapable, then I am ready to quit the party right at this moment: Maharashtra CM pic.twitter.com/s6EonkkzYY
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Thackeray also claimed that Shiv Sena, a regional party limited to only the State of Maharashtra, has suffered electorally for aligning with a pan-India party such as the BJP.
“When BJP and Shiv Sena were considered untouchables in the name of Hindutva and nobody was ready to go with BJP, Balasaheb said there shouldn’t be a division of Hindutva votes. We remained with BJP and we are suffering its consequences now,” he said.
The incumbent Sena chief also accused the saffron party of trying to exterminate its existence.
Those who left us have no option but to go to BJP. The BJP wants just one thing – to finish Shiv Sena: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/R5ANXo1cUT
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
“Shiv Sena like a sword, if you keep it in sheath, it rusts. If you take it out, it shines. It’s time to shine,” Thackeray tried to invoke hope among the Shiv Sainiks awaiting an impending collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Many of you might be getting phone calls – some loving & some threatening. I say, har sher ko sava sher milta hi hai. You’ll find sava sher in Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena like a sword, if you keep it in sheath,it rusts. If you take it out,it shines. It’s time to shine: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/HXg4xqeyAl
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022
Meanwhile, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde informed the media that he has the support of 50 MLAs, which is enough to oust the incumbent Maharashtra government from power.
Shinde confirmed that about 40 of the MLAs are from the Shiv Sena. It implies that the rebel leader has the numbers to bypass disciplinary action under the anti-defection law.
“About 40 of them are from Shiv Sena. Those who have faith in our role will join us. We want to carry the legacy and ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray forward.” he emphasised.
Besides the Shiv Sena MLAs, about 60 Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) from Thane are also set to join Eknath Shinde’s rebel camp.
In a bid to save its face, Sena leader Sanjay Raut announced that the party is willing to break its alliance with Congress and the NCP. He added that such a demand will only be entertained if a formal request is made to Uddhav Thackeray.
