The ongoing saga over the split in Shiv Sena on Tuesday took a new twist after party MPs Rahul Shewale, who along with 11 others deserted the Thackeray faction and joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde camp, made a startling claim that Uddhav Thackeray wanted to ‘’rejoin’’ the NDA in June last year "but backtracked later". ‘’Party president Uddhav Thackeray said he wanted an alliance with BJP and tried his best. He told party MPs to try at their level,’’ said Shewale. However, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut accused BJP of breaking alliance with Shiv Sena in 2014 and 2019 as they did not keep the promise. He made this disclosure in the presence of Shinde and other 11 MPs during media interaction in New Delhi.
‘’In June 2021, Uddhav Thackeray had an hour-long discussion with Prime Minister Modi. However, after that, 12 BJP MLAs were suspended in the monsoon session of the state assembly by the chair that sent a wrong message. While Thackeray was talking about the alliance on one side, the 12 BJP MLAs were suspended. The BJP's senior leadership was quite angry. Thereafter further talks on Shiv Sena BJP alliance were stalled. Despite that Thackeray asked the MPs that they should try for an alliance now,’’ said Shewale.
‘’While Uddhav Thackeray during our meeting held with him after the 40 legislators led by Eknath Shinde deserted said that he was making efforts to patch up with BJP so that the alliance will be in place ahead of 2024 elections, but party MP Sanjay Raut was speaking in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi. Ultimately, we swung into action and decided to join Shinde who is heading the Shiv Sena BJP alliance government in Maharashtra,’’ noted Shewale who has been made the Shiv Sena group leader in Lok Sabha.
Shewale reiterated that after 40 MLAs joined Shinde camp during the meeting called by Thackeray all MPs defended the stand taken by those legislators and made strong in favour of why others should go with BJP. ‘’At that time, Thackeray said that if Eknath Shinde is going to be made the Chief Minister then I am ready to accept the stand taken by 40 MLAs. During that meeting Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut were also present,’’ he said.
At the same meeting, Shewale said Thackeray told MPs that ‘’We (Shiv Sena) are with Maha Vikas Aghadi and should stay together and fight elections jointly. However, all MPs opposed him. MPs were of the opinion that they were elected because of Shiv Sena’s alliance with BJP and therefore the party should remain with the saffron party,’’ he added.
Shewale said that MPs had told Thackeray they were suffering because of the MVA government as the efforts were made to give strength to the NCP and Congress against whom they contested the Lok Sabha elections and won in 2019. ‘’We had won because of the Shiv Sena and BJP alliance. It was unfortunate that after the assembly elections in the same year MVA was formed. A common minimum programme was prepared but there was nothing about Shiv Sena’s promises and programmes. NCP chief Sharad Pawar himself said that Aurangabad to be named as Sambhajinagar was not part of the common minimum programme,’’ he added.
Shewale said that CM Eknath Shinde however, has taken forward the Hindutva and the thoughts of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray.
Sanjay Raut reacts
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut slammed the 12 MPs, who deserted the Thackeray faction and joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. ‘’Where were they when BJP had targeted party president Uddhav Thackeray and his family by making a series of allegations. In 2014, BJP broke the alliance and so also in 2019. BJP did not keep the promise that they gave in Balasaheb Thackeray’s room at Matoshree during a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray,’’ he noted.
Raut said that he and other party MPs, legislators and other leaders stayed with the party even in bad times. ‘’Despite pressure, we did not leave the party. We also knew about the meeting between Modi and Thackeray. Basically, if you are raising questions on the alliance, where were you in 2014? Where were you when BJP broke the alliance? Why didn't Rahul Shewale ask questions about BJP's stand? BJP broke the alliance in 2014 and in 2019 the alliance could not continue due to BJP,’’ he added.
‘’Had the BJP stuck to its promise (of equal sharing of power including the CM's post), everyone knew that Eknath Shinde would have become the Chief Minister. Now, BJP has cheated Shinde,’’ claimed Raut. ‘’After 2019 assembly elections when BJP changed its word about sharing the CM’s post, it was discussed that it was an opportune time to teach BJP a lesson. It was supported by all but now Shinde and others have taken a stand opposite to it,’’ he said.
