Sena MLAs backed Uddhav as CM, opposed alliance with Congress, says minister

Mumbai: Shiv Sena minister Deepak Kesarkar, who deposed as a witness in the disqualification petitions against Shiv Sena MLAs, on Tuesday said that all legislators voted in favour of a confidence motion moved by the government in 2019 only because Uddhav Thackeray was becoming the chief minister. However, Uddhav Thackeray has to compromise party’s aims and objectives stated in the party constitution to get Congress’s support, which was not liked by the MLAs.

The Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena has contended that Uddhav Thackeray had compromised with the Hindutva, which is the core ideology of the party, to get Congress’s and NCP’s support to form the government in Maharashtra. According to the Shinde faction, they wanted to return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in order to take forward party founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology.

When advocate Devadatt Kamat representing the Uddhav Thackeray faction asked him if it is true that all Shiv Sena MLAs had voted in favour of the confidence motion moved by Mr. Thackeray in 2019, Mr. Kesarkar affirmed it. However, he added that the MLAs supported the confidence motion because Mr. Thackeray was the CM.

“Though we supported the Uddhav Thackeray government, we didn’t support the fact that we had to compromise and give up the aims and objectives of Shiv Sena stated in the party constitution, such as protecting Hindu culture, common civil code, and supporting the cause of Marathi people. A common minimum programme was prepared. According to the reports in the media and what was being told to us by many people, the Congress gave support to Shiv Sena only after Uddhav Thackeray signed the CMP. No meeting of party’s Pratinidhi Sabha was held and its consent was not taken while going against the aims and objectives,” Mr. Kesarkar said.

The minister also said that Mr. Shinde did not want CM’s post and this was also confirmed by Uddhav Thackeray. “Uddhavji told us that when Mr. Shinde met him, there were tears in his eyes and he clearly mentioned that he does not wish to become the CM. He supported the then CM (Uddhav Thackeray), but he did not support the Maha Vikas Aghadi,” he said.

However, advocate Kamat contended that contrary to the claims of Mr. Kesarkar, Uddhav Thackeray as the CM furthered the ideology of Shiv Sena and in particular the policy of protecting the identity of Marathi people and Marathi language.