Uddhav Thackeray offers to quit as Sena chief amid rebellion: Ready to pick anyone

Uddhav Thackeray, facing a major revolt by six of his nine Lok Sabha MPs, offered to step down as Shiv Sena (UBT) chief if party workers lose faith in him.

In Short

• Uddhav Thackeray offers to step down if Sena workers lose faith in him
• Offers the post to any worker deemed fit by party members
• Eknath Shinde blasts Thackeray, says what happened is just trailer

Amid the deepening rebellion within the Shiv Sena UBT, party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday offered to step down from his position if party workers no longer had faith in his leadership. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister said he was willing to hand over the reins to any worker if members felt he was no longer fit to lead.

Addressing party cadres at the Shiv Sena Foundation Day, Thackeray said he was prepared to make "anyone" the party chief and would not cling to the post. However, he asserted that he would not give up the fight for the party's ideology.

"I will not give up. But the day you feel I am not righteous for this position, I will leave," Thackeray said.

He continued that some people expected the party to lose hope, but asserted that Shiv Sena (UBT) would continue its fight. Referring to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, he said workers were asking for directions and recalled that Balasaheb had once instructed party members to take on those who betrayed the organisation.

"Some people must be thinking that we will lose hope. But we will not. Some people are saying that I should give orders. Balasaheb had given an order earlier (to break those who ditch us)," Thackeray said, referring to the six of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs who recently severed ties with the leadership and skipped a parliamentary party meeting.

Earlier this week, in a major political setback for the Uddhav Sena, six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs rebelled against the party leadership. The crisis deepened on Thursday after the rebel MPs, who are alleged to be preparing to join Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, skipped a crucial parliamentary party meeting convened by Thackeray.

Addressing the party workers, Thackeray apologised to voters over the exodus of MPs from his party. "Today I apologise to voters because they voted for us but our MPs left," he said.

Targeting defectors, including those who have accused him of being inaccessible, Thackeray said Shiv Sena had made many leaders what they are today and questioned such allegations by asking how they had managed to win elections if he was unavailable.

Thackeray defended the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s alliance with the Congress but firmly dismissed speculation about a merger with the party, a claim that has been cited by some as a factor behind the recent defections.

"If for 30 years we were with the BJP and did not merge with the BJP, how will we merge with Congress?" he asked. He said that while the Sena had political differences with the Congress in the past, the party had "never insulted Matoshree" and had honoured its commitments. In a pointed attack on the BJP, he remarked that the Congress was "better than the BJP's Hindutva".

JUST A TRAILER, PICTURE IS LEFT: EKNATH SHINDE

At a simultaneous Shiv Sena Foundation Day event, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde launched a sharp counterattack on Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of abandoning Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology by aligning with the Congress and the NCP.

"Those who condemned Balasaheb, you are worshipping those people today. The NCP and Congress broke Shiv Sena and now you are sitting in their lap," Shinde said, referring to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.

Apparently referring to the political developments, he said it was only the beginning, saying, "This is just a trailer, the picture is still left. Wait and watch what happens next."

He asserted that it was his faction that had carried forward Balasaheb Thackeray's vision. "I have completed the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray. We have made Balasaheb proud," he said.

In a veiled swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, "The tiger is in front of you. Some dogs have been barking for the last few days. They bark in groups, but the tiger comes alone. This is Shiv Sena."

Further escalating his attack, Shinde said, "You need to have a tiger's heart to carry out an operation. A wolf cannot do any operation," a remark seen as a reference to his rebellion against the Uddhav-led leadership.

While Uddhav Thackeray targeted the BJP, Shinde praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling NDA, urging party workers to applaud the Prime Minister for his work. "Balasaheb would have patted PM Modi on the back for the work he is doing for the country," he said.

He also stressed that the Mahayuti alliance remained united. "Some people are trying to create differences between me and Devendra Fadnavis, but we are strongly bonded together," he added.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing its biggest crisis since the 2022 split, when Eknath Shinde broke away and joined hands with the BJP to form a government. Six of Uddhav Sena's nine Lok Sabha MPs rebelled against the party leadership and moving towards the rival Sena faction and have reportedly submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker and are seeking recognition as a separate group.

The rebels have alleged that the party was drifting away from Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology and expressed concerns over the UBT Sena's growing proximity to the Congress. The Thackeray camp has rejected these claims, issued notices to the rebel MPs, and initiated steps to seek action against them.

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