MUMBAI: As the drama over government formation in Maharashtra continues, Shiv Sena insiders have revealed that a major chunk of party MLAs was unhappy with Uddhav Thackeray when he announced his decision to join hands with the Congress and the NCP to form a government in the state.
This massive unrest among the MLAs was one of the reasons why they were allowed to return to their respective homes, party sources have claimed.
After the BJP declined the Maharashtra governor’s invitation to form the government, the Shiv Sena had shifted all its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai. It was at this hotel that the MLAs expressed serious concerns over the party leadership's stand to seek support from Congress and NCP for government formation in the state.
Initially, the dissent was meek but it grew louder with each passing day and that was one of the reasons why the party leadership decided to let MLAs to return to their homes, Shiv Sena insiders have said.
Last week, the unrest amongst the MLAs had reportedly led to ugly scenes at the hotel. The MLAs engaged in abusive arguments and even physical fights, sources said. These fights were one of the reasons why Aaditya Thackeray had to rush to the hotel almost around midnight to calm them down, they added.
The Shiv Sena has 56 MLAs of its own and they lodged at Hotel Retreat in the Western Mumbai suburb of Malad to allay fears of poaching. As many as 40 out of these MLAs were on the verge of revolt.
“How can we justify joining hands with those against whom we have contested for years,” the MLAs had asked the party leadership which couldn’t provide satisfactory answers, the sources said.
While the Congress and the NCP have not been able to decide on allying with the Shiv Sena, the internal dilemma within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party too might have an impact on the politics of Maharashtra in the days to come.