Mumbai:
Uddhav Thackeray — only with three MPs in the Lok Sabha now, kept a stiff upper lip as party leaders who joined his faction got ready to go public with their allegations against him. The six MPs are coming to Delhi, where they will officially join the Shinde faction and hold a press conference on Monday, sources said.
“I have faced such crisis before also, it has not shaken me… you should all take revenge during election,” Uddhav Thackeray told reporters this evening. “Many came and many have gone.. but Thackerays have stayed… it doesn’t matter,” his close aide and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut added.
Earlier today, Omraje Nibalkar, one of the turncoat MPs, clarified his stance during discussions with party workers.
“The decision has been finalised. Only the official announcement is pending,” he told them.
Read: Uddhav Sena Crisis May Spiral Today. Thackerays Enter Firefighting Mode
“We contested local body elections but did not succeed,” Nibalkar told his supporters. The Opposition, he said has both political power and financial strength. But even so, people following Thackeray find themselves on the wrong side, he said.
“The very people we entered politics to oppose were thriving during the Congress government’s tenure and continue to do so under the BJP government. How long can we keep fighting with limited resources? I honestly feel that we, too, must now pursue the path to power,” he said.
“There are no funds available even to repair a simple transformer for farmers. Every year, only estimates are drawn up. The Patil family holds power – he is an MLA, and his wife is a Zilla Parishad member. Should we just stand by and watch helplessly? We must also embrace leadership and power. Payments for our workers’ bills are being withheld,” he added.
The crossover notice, as well as the Thackeray camp petition to stop the change of camp, are pending with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The rebel MPs have sought approval for a merger -claiming to represent the “real” Shiv Sena and citing the two-thirds majority required to bypass anti-defection laws.
The ball is now firmly in the Speaker’s court, and his decision – which will determine whether these six MPs retain their membership or face disqualification – is awaited.
