MUMBAI: After stepping down as the chief minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that Eknath Shinde is not the CM from Shiv Sena. Thackeray made the comment during a visit to the Shiv Sena Bhavan, where he questioned the move that the BJP made in 2019.
“I am really surprised and I have one question: If BJP was really interested in making a Shiv Sainik as the chief minister of Maharashtra, then why did they not agree to it in 2019?,” he said. “We asked Amit Shah to honour the power-sharing formula that was agreed upon, but they refused to do so, resulting in the birth of Maha Vikas Aghadi. If they had agreed to this earlier, today, there would have been BJP’s chief minister in the state,” Thackeray said.
The former CM reiterated that Eknath Shinde is not a Sainik. Lamenting that the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and BJP betrayed and backstabbed him for power, Thackeray said, “The anger against me should not be used against Mumbaikars by developing a metro car shed at Aarey colony. These are green places that need to be protected.” He blamed the BJP for chopping several trees earlier, and added that they later planted many trees to bring in ecological balance.
“We have also seen wild animals coming back. I am pained with the new government’s decision of allowing the metro car shed to come up,” Thackeray said. He added that the state government should resolve the Kanjurmarg metro project issue as well, now that BJP is in power in the state and the Centre.
Thackeray also said that people should have the right to recall their MLAs and MP if they go against the voters’ wishes. “The rebel MLAs were first taken to Gujarat, then to Guwahati and finally to Goa. Democracy is on sale in the market,” Thackeray said.
BJP hopes to make Sena a toothless tiger
Mumbai: Having brought down the Uddhav Thackeray government, BJP is now aiming to reduce Shiv Sena to a toothless tiger. The party hopes to achieve this before the BMC elections. The BJP already has a majority of Sena MLAs — 39 out of 55 — in its control. It is now eyeing to recognise the Eknath Shinde-led group as the real Shiv Sena. It seems to have started working on the plan as Shinde has asked the MLAs who are on Uddhav’s side to be with the majority faction or else face disqualification proceedings for ‘anti-party activities’.