Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who faced a significant political crisis when the Shiv Sena split in 2022, has firmly stated that there is no place for his former colleagues who joined Eknath Shinde’s faction to return to his camp. This statement comes on the heels of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state.
“Absolutely not. Those who left me will not be taken back,” Thackeray declared when asked if he would consider reintegrating the leaders who had defected. Sharad Pawar, when asked the same question, echoed Thackeray’s sentiments, saying, “There is no question of taking them back.”
Addressing the potential for new alliances, Thackeray mentioned, “We will move forward with all those people who stayed with us and struggled with us. If some people want to join us, we will see…”
Buoyed by the Lok Sabha poll results, Thackeray announced that the MVA would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the state together. “When three parties come together, it means everyone is together and everyone will fight together,” he said.
Responding to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “vote jihad” allegations against the Opposition, Thackeray dismissed the claims. “What vote jihad are they talking about? PM Modi himself said that Muslims are his friends and often come to his place for food. All people from all castes and all sections voted for us,” he asserted.
Thackeray also took a jab at the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, questioning their leadership. “Who will be the CM face of Mahayuti (BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP)? What face is left of them? Their condition is serious,” he remarked.
Criticizing the BJP’s campaign narratives, Thackeray said, “The narrative that they wanted to set about Mangalsutra, achhe din, 15 lakh Rupees, what about those? If we start from 2014, were all these narratives false? What about Modi guarantee?… Were all these false?” He continued his critique of PM Modi, attributing their loss in vote share to various factors including farmer issues.
Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, also participated in the press conference, advocating for the caste census promised by the Congress. “This is necessary for our country,” he said. On the Maratha reservations issue, Pawar urged the government to adhere to the government resolution (GR) previously released on the matter.
Pawar also took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi by thanking him for inadvertently aiding their victory. “Wherever the Prime Minister’s roadshow and rally took place, we won. That is why I consider it my duty to thank the Prime Minister,” he said.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s tally in Maharashtra dropped to nine seats from 23 in 2019, with a vote share of 26.18 percent. In contrast, the Congress slightly improved its position, securing 13 seats. The Shiv Sena and the NCP won seven and one seats respectively, bringing the NDA’s total to 17 seats in the state.