Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday challenged rebel Eknath Shinde along with BJP to try and oust Shiv Sena and also those who vote fid the party. The in crisis Shiv Sena also alleged BJP of trying to finish off Sena.
During his virtual address to the party corporators, Mr Thackeray said that Sena workers are his “wealth” ans he does not care about any criticism by others as long as his party workers are with him.
He said that Shiv Sena is “betrayed by its own people” after Sena MLAs went with party rebel Eknath Shinde who is currently camping in Guwahati.
“We gave these rebels tickets to contest assembly elections despite many of you being aspirants for the same. These people are disgruntled after getting elected owing to your hard work, and you are standing by the party in this crucial time. I can’t thank you enough,” Mr Thackeray told the Sena workers.
“I had told Eknath Shinde to look into complaints regarding alliance partners. He told me that legislators were pressurizing him that the Sena should join hands with the BJP. I told him to bring these MLAs to me, let’s discuss this. BJP treated us badly, didn’t honour promises. Many of the rebels have cases filed against them. So if they go with BJP, they will become clean, if they stayed with us, they will go to jail. Is this a sign of friendship?” questioned the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
“If a Shiv Sena worker is going to become a chief minister, you should go (with the BJP). But if you are, after all, going to become a deputy chief minister, you should have told me, I would have made you deputy chief minister,” he said pointing towards Eknath Shinde.
The CM who is also the party president also said that if party workers themselves do not find him capable enought then he will resign as party president.
“Shiv Sena is an ideology… BJP wants to finish it off because they don’t want to share the Hindu vote bank with anyone,” said Mr Thackeray adding that the Shiv Sena founder Thackeray himself initiated an alliance with BJP so that there is no split between the Hindu voters.
He further said, as the rebellions do not have any option excepting to join BJP and if they succeed in forming the government, it will still not stay for long period as much of the MLAs among the rebel group are not happy with the move.
Meanwhile, slamming Mr Shinde and the BJP, he challenged them to try and take away Sena’s vote bank.
“You have taken away those who got elected. But if you have the courage, try and take away those who got you elected,” said CM Thackeray.
