Uddhav Thackeray tells rebels: Ready to resign from CM post, but...

"If any Shiv Sena MLA does not want me to continue as Chief Minister, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri. If party members feel that I am not fit to lead the party, I will resign from that position as well," Uddhav said.

Uddhav Thackeray: Ready to resign, let rebel MLAs tell me face-to-face

Team Newsable

Mumbai, First Published Jun 22, 2022, 5:59 PM IST

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that he is ready to resign from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's post provided the rebel MLAs sit face-to-face across the table and ask him to do so.

Lashing out at Eknath Shinde, Uddhav said, "I am ready to resign. My resignation letter is ready. If the rebels don't want me to be the chief minister, i will resign. Say it directly, not otherwise. I am ready to resign as chief minister, but our MLAs should make another chief minister from Shiv Sena only."

Responding to criticism that the Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena was moving away from Hindutva, Uddhav said: "Some people say that it's not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. These people do not understand the thoughts of Balasaheb. Hindutva and Shiv Sena are the same. Can never digress from Hindutva. What have I done against Balasaheb’s ideology? Don’t need to explain my contribution to Hindutva. This is the same Shiv Sena that it was at his time 'Hindutva' is our life. Don't forget, this is Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. This is the same Shiv Sena people are now dumping."

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that he had no experience of administration, but worked hard during the Coronavirus pandemic and got a good result. While admitting that he could not meet people in the last few months due to his surgery and health condition, Uddhav said that he had now started meeting people.

While informing the Shiv Sena leaders about the urgent meeting today evening at 'Varsha' -- the official residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray, Prabhu's letter noted that there have been attempts to make the MVA government unstable.

'The details of the meeting have been shared with all MLAs via SMS, Whatsapp and registered e-mail address. You cannot be absent from the meeting without a valid and sufficient reason. If you do not attend the meeting, it would be presumed that you clearly intend to leave the party. Hence, action will be taken against you based on the provisions for preventing anti-defection,' the letter said.

Also Read: Explained: The real reason behind the Maha Vikas Aghadi mutiny

Uddhav's address to the state comes after two more MLAs -- Manjula Gavit, an independent MLA who represents the Sakri assembly constituency, and Yogesh Kadam, who is Sena's legislator from the Dapoli assembly segment in Maharashtra -- joined ranks with the dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde. The two more MLAs arrived in Gujarat's Surat on Wednesday afternoon, following which they were flown to Guwahati in Assam.

The growing mutiny among the ruling side MLAs posed a survival crisis for the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Shinde has claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs.

Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena directed all its MLAs in Maharashtra, including the rebels accompanying Shinde, to attend a legislature party meeting in Mumbai at 5 PM or face action under the anti-defection law.

Countering the whip, Shinde said the order issued by the party's chief whip Sunil Prabhu is 'legally invalid'. He claimed that he had more numbers (of Shiv Sena MLAs) than needed (to form a separate group in the Assembly without inviting the anti-defection law provisions).

According to sources, a third Shiv Sena MLA is expected to join the group of rebel legislators led by Shinde.

Shinde said he and other Sena rebels were committed to Balasaheb Thackeray's 'Hindutva' ideology.

Shinde and some MLAs had left Mumbai on Monday after Legislative Council polls which saw the BJP winning the fifth seat despite not having enough numbers in the Assembly, most likely due to cross-voting from the ruling bloc, Independent MLAs and smaller parties.

Also Read: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik bats for re-establishing ties with BJP

Last Updated Jun 22, 2022, 6:07 PM IST