JOIN USRebel Shiv Sena leaders had urged Uddhav Thackeray to quit MVA: Kesarkar
Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar on Thursday said the group had requested party president Uddhav Thackeray to break away from the alliance with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party.
“But this never happened. We had told him to step out of Maha Vikas Aghadi,” Kesarkar said, adding that the rebel MLAs would have engaged in a discussion with Thackeray if only the latter had opted out of the MVA.
Thackeray resigned as the Maharashtra Chief Minister—leading the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government—hours after the Supreme Court ordered for a Floor Test on Thursday at the state Assembly.
Thursday was marked by hectic developments in Goa—where the group of rebelling MLAs were staying since late Wednesday—and in Mumbai—where the leader of the rebel group Eknath Shinde was eventually offered the Chief Minister’s post by the state Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Kesarkar also blamed Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut for repeatedly slamming the rebel MLAs led by Shinde for "backstabbing" the party.
“Now an alliance has taken place between those who have been elected by the people of Maharashtra. Therefore, Sanjay Raut should stop speaking of backstabbing,” Kesarkar said.
“Maharashtra had given verdict for Shiv Sena and the BJP to remain united. This needed to be honoured. However, the Congress and the NCP came to power, although they were defeated by the people,” he said, slamming Thackeray for aligning with the two parties.