Maharashtra Mutiny: 10 key points Uddhav Thackeray made to Shiv Sena cadre

Breaking his silence after his government was pushed to the brink of collapse by rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said he was ready to quit his post if the rebel MLAs tell him that they don't want him to continue as CM.

In a 17-minute-long webcast, Thackeray, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day, said he was ready to give up the post of Shiv Sena president if Shiv Sainiks felt that he wasn't capable of heading the party.

Thackeray added he would be happy to see a Shiv Sainik as his successor on the CM's post, adding he took up the post despite his inexperience after a suggestion from NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Here's a look at ten key highlights from the Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM's address:

1. If any MLA does not want me to continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Versha Bungalow (the official residence of the CM) to Matoshri.

2. When my own people (MLAs) don't want me what I can say. If they had something against me, what was the need of saying all this in Surat, they could have come here and said this to my face.

3. I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs. They should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan.

4. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers.

5. If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me.

6. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me.

7. CM posts will come and go but the real asset is the affection of the people. In the past 2 years, I was fortunate enough to get a lot of affection from people.

8. When all three parties came together in 2019, Sharad Pawar told me that  I had to take responsibility for the CM post. I didn't even have prior experience. But I took the responsibility. Sharad Pawar & Sonia Gandhi helped me a lot; they kept their faith in me.

9. I don't want to get into what is happening with our MLAs and where they are going or where they are being taken. It's true that I could not meet people in the last few months due to my surgery and health condition. But now, I have started meeting people.

10. Some people say that it's not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. They should tell what the thoughts of Bala Saheb were. This is the same Shiv Sena that it was at his time. 'Hindutva' is our life.

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• Uddhav Thackeray
• Shiv Sena
• Maharashtra
• Eknath Shinde