Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted on declaring the chief ministerial candidate before the elections instead of the formula of the party winning the most seats claiming the chief minister’s post in the upcoming assembly elections and said that he would support any such candidate declared by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Addressing MVA party workers here, Thackeray said that if the Lok Sabha elections were held to protect democracy and the Constitution, then the assembly elections are a fight to save Maharashtra’s self-respect. He further said that he does not support the idea that the party with the maximum number of MLAs should get the chief minister’s post. After this statement of Uddhav Thackeray, the tension of the Congress has increased. In fact, Congress can contest the elections on the maximum number of seats in the state and now it is clear from Thackeray’s statement that he is not interested in the chief minister’s post being given to the party winning the most seats.
The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. He stressed that the chief ministerial candidate should be decided first and not on the basis of the logic of the party winning the most seats in the election. Thackeray said that during his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his experience was that whoever has the numbers will get the post of Chief Minister. He termed this policy as ‘harmful’ as it would lead to one party trying to defeat the candidate of the other party to maintain its lead in the alliance.
Thackeray said, “First decide (the face of the Chief Minister) and then move forward but do not follow this policy (whoever has the most seats will get the post of Chief Minister).” The former Chief Minister said, “Uddhav Thackeray will support any candidate declared by Congress and NCP as the Chief Ministerial face of MVA. I am not fighting for myself but for the rights of Maharashtra.” Thackeray asked the MVA workers to rise above personal interests and fight to protect the pride and interest of Maharashtra. He also urged them to become the ‘messengers’ of the opposition alliance in the state. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocating a secular civil code in the country in his address on the occasion of Independence Day, Thackeray questioned whether he has given up Hindutva?
PM Modi had said, “A large section of the country believes that the civil code we are living under is really a communal and discriminatory code. I want that there should be a serious discussion on this in the country and everyone should come up with their views.” Targeting the Prime Minister, Thackeray asked, “Have you given up Hindutva? You formed an alliance with Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar who do not believe in Hindutva.” He also targeted the Prime Minister over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and asked why it was not passed when the BJP had an absolute majority.
He said, “Have you brought the Wakf Bill to create a rift among us? And if you had to bring it, why did you not do so when you had a majority? My MPs were not there because they were with me. If this was to be discussed, our MPs would have participated in it.” Thackeray’s party had faced criticism for not putting forth its views on the bill that came up for discussion in the Lok Sabha last week. The bill was later referred to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.
Demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the land deals in Ayodhya, he said, “Just like you are taking land from our Hindu temples and giving it to your contractor friends, in the same way you are going to steal the land of the Wakf Board and give it to your industrialist friends… we will not let any irregularities happen.” Thackeray also challenged the Election Commission to announce assembly elections in Maharashtra.