Will the rebellion of 6 MPs prove to be a bigger blow to Uddhav Thackeray’s politics than 2022? If rebel MPs join Shinde group, what effect will it have on Maharashtra politics? Is Uddhav Thackeray’s proposal to step down as president a strategy to unite party workers or a compulsion?
Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is in another big trouble in Maharashtra. 6 out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs of the party have rebelled, due to which the danger of another split in the party is looming. After this major rebellion, Uddhav Thackeray has announced that he is ready to step down from the post of party president if the workers lose confidence in him. Uddhav made this emotional statement while talking to party workers on the foundation day of Shiv Sena.
Of the 9 Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav faction, 6 have opened a front against the party leadership. These MPs also boycotted the parliamentary party meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray. According to reports, these rebel MPs have written a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker demanding recognition of themselves as a separate group. There is speculation that all these MPs may join Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. Amidst this turmoil, Uddhav publicly told the workers, “I will not give up the fight, but the day you feel that I am not worthy of this post, I will step down.” He also said that he is ready to make a common worker the party president. After the MPs switched sides, he also apologized to the voters who had voted for him.
Uddhav Thackeray also dismissed rumors that Shiv Sena may merge with Congress. He asked, “When we remained in alliance with BJP for 30 years and did not join it, then how can we be in Congress?” However, he also added that Congress is better than BJP’s Hindutva politics.
At the same time, in another program of Shiv Sena Foundation Day, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde fiercely attacked Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde alleged, “Uddhav has betrayed the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and has sat in the lap of Congress-NCP.” He warned, “This is just a trailer, the real film is yet to come. Let’s see what happens next.” Referring to ‘Sher Akela Aata Hai’, Shinde claimed that Balasaheb’s real dreams are being fulfilled by his group only. He also praised the governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is the biggest political crisis for Uddhav Thackeray so far after the big rebellion led by Eknath Shinde in the year 2022. The Uddhav faction has decided to take legal action against the rebel MPs who violate the whip.