JOIN USAs pressure mounts, Uddhav appeals again: ‘Come back, let’s sit and talk’
As the Eknath Shinde-led breakaway faction of Shiv Sena seemed to inch closer to toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, party president, and Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray once again appealed to the rebels to return, sit across the table and iron out the issues.
“As Shiv Sena party chief and family head, I am still worried about you. Come here for a dialogue,” Thackeray said via a brief statement issued by the Shiv Sena party office.
The appeal comes a day after the rebel group claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Shiv Sena, grew under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, and urged Thackeray to break away from the MVA alliance. The rebel group wanted Thackeray to uphold the ideals of party founder, late Balasaheb Thackeray.
Meanwhile, top leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party and the Indian National Congress met separately to discuss the evolving situation. Leader of Opposition, and former Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis flew to New Delhi to hold deliberations with BJP President J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Reportedly, Shinde also planned to return to Mumbai and make his move; however, there is no official confirmation.
Thackeray, in his appeal, said: “You are in Guwahati for the last few days. Every day some new information is coming out about you, many of you are also in touch. You are still in Shiv Sena. The family members of some of you have also contacted me and conveyed their feelings to me. I respect your feelings as the head of Shiv Sena's family. Get rid of the confusion, there will be a definite way out, we will sit together and find a way out of it…please don't fall prey to any tall promises.”
Shinde, on Tuesday, challenged party leadership to name the MLAs who are in touch with them. “They are spreading misinformation and trying to mislead people,” Shinde said in Guwahati.
Over the past week, Shiv Sena leaders, including Uddhav’s son Aaditya, Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai, have been claiming that MLAs who are now in Guwahati are in touch with them.
“We are Shiv Sainiks…we are followers of Balasaheb Thackeray…we are taking his Hindutva ahead,” he said, (who?), claiming that the 50 MLAs camping in Guwahati were there on their own accord.
Shinde said the faction’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar would brief the media from time to time. “We will come to Mumbai, whenever the next step is taken, we will inform,” he said.