umbai:
Uddhav Thackeray, reduced to a minority in his own party by a stunning revolt by a former aide, said today the Shiv Sena rebels are “trying to break the party” and added: “Why would I feel bad about those who have left?”
The Maharashtra Chief Minister, addressing a group of party leaders virtually, said those who had declared they would rather die than leave the Shiv Sena had today “run away”.
“How far can you go without using the names of Shiv Sena and Thackeray,” Mr Thackeray said, targeting the rebel MLAs who have deserted him.
Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray met with the Shiv Sena’s district heads while fighting an unprecedented rebellion that has seen more than 40 MLAs backing rebel Eknath Shinde. Aaditya Thackeray attended the meeting in person in an attempt to reestablish his family’s emotional connect with grassroots workers of the Shiv Sena founded by his grandfather Bal Thackeray.
Eknath Shinde and his expanding group of rebels has been staying at a five-star hotel in Assam’s Guwahati. Mr Shinde had been nursing a grudge for some time, say sources, and one of his complaints was the rise of Aaditya Thackeray as a power centre.
“Eknath Shinde makes his own son an MP then why does he have a problem with my son,” Mr Thackeray reportedly said.
My body was aching, from my head and neck to my feet. Some people thought I would not recover… My eyes were not opening, but I didn’t care about myself,” the Sena chief said.
Mr Shinde claims 40 Sena MLAs support him and the figure will cross 50 soon.