Uddhav was inaccessible, Shinde gave justice to all: Maharashtra minister
Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Uday Samant on Monday said that Uddhav Thackeray was affectionately called ‘Paksha Pramukh’ by everyone in Shiv Sena, but it was not his official post as per the party constitution. Appearing as a witness in the disqualification petitions against 38 Shiv Sena MLAs, Mr. Samant said that for several years all legislators and office bearers would go to Eknath Shinde with their grievances and he gave justice to all. Mr. Thackeray was never accessible, he said.
Mr. Samant was cross-examined by advocate Davadatt Kamat appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray faction. In his voluntary statement, Mr. Samant said that all Shiv Sena leaders and party functionaries looked upto Mr. Shinde to solve their issues.
“I want to state one more important thing here. Although there is no post of ‘Paksha Pramukh’ as per the Shiv Sena constitution amended in 1999. But we often referred to Uddhav Thackeray as ‘Paksha Pramukh’ because we respected him and because he is the son of our beloved Balasaheb Thackeray,” Mr. Samant said.
The minister further added that despite the affection and respect shown by Shiv Sena legislators and office bearers, Uddhav Thackeray did not meet them. “Uddhavji was always inaccessible. For several years, all elected representatives and office bearers of Shiv Sena used to go to Eknath Shinde with their issues and grievances. Mr. Shinde would always give justice to all,” he said.
However, when advocate Kamat asked Mr. Samant when did the legislators and party office bearers start approaching Mr. Shinde to get their issues solved, the minister said he cannot specify the time.
Mr. Samant further said he became the member of the legislative assembly for the first time in 2004 and since then he recognised Mr. Shinde as Shiv Sena “leader”. Advocate Kamat pointed out to him that Uddhav Thackeray had appointed Mr. Shinde as one of the Shiv Sena leaders for the first time in 2018, Mr. Samant said he had no idea about it.
In 2004, Mr. Samant was elected as MLA for the first time as a NCP member. He joined the Shiv Sena in 2014. When asked how did he come to know that Mr. Shinde was the Shiv Sena leader in 2004 when he was not even the member of the party, Mr. Samant said that he gathered it from the interactions with his colleagues in the Legislative Assembly.
Uddhav Thackeray’s post as Shiv Sena’s ‘Paksha Pramukh’ has been challenged by the Shinde faction in order to contend that Mr. Thackeray was not elected as the party’s supreme leader. The Shinde faction’s argument is that the party constitution amended in 1999 is the official constitution and there is no provision for the post of ‘Paksha Pramukh’ in it. On the other hand, the Thackeray faction claims that the Shiv Sena constitution was amended in 2018 and the post of ‘Paksha Pramukh’ was created. The new post was created as Uddhav Thackeray did not want to replace his late father as ‘Shiv Sena Pramukh’.
