After a days of turmoil within the Shiv Sena that overturned the fate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, 29 June, stepped down as the chief minister of the state following the Supreme Court’s order to conduct a floor test on Thursday. He also resigned as the Member of the Legislative Council (MLC).
“I am giving up the post of the chief minister. All of you gave me your love and blessings and I am thankful for that, but I won’t be cowed down or get scared,” he said.
In his address to the state via Facebook, Thackeray thanked his party workers, supporters, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and the Congress party for supporting him while his “own people betrayed and backstabbed him and the Shiv Sena.”
Thackeray also appealed to all party workers to maintain peace on Thursday and not create hurdles for the rebel leaders who are scheduled to return to the state tomorrow.
“I want to tell all rebel MLAs that you come, take oath and attend the floor test without any worry,” he said.
After the resignation, rebel Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, speaking on behalf of the Eknath Shinde camp, said that the news of Thackeray’s resignation was a sad one for them. Kesarkar blamed Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut, along with the Congress and the NCP for the crisis.
The rebel Sena MLAs and leaders led by Shinde arrived in Goa on Wednesday night after camping in Guwahati for over a week.
Meanwhile, the mood at the BJP office in Mumbai was celebratory following Thackeray’s resignation with chants in support of former CM Devendra Fadnavis.
After maintaining that the BJP had nothing to do with the crisis and had not contacted rebel leader Eknath Shinde at any point, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday said that the rebel Sena leaders should return to Mumbai only on the “day of oath-taking.” Fadnavis said that he will speak to the media on the party’s strategy on Thursday.
Former Maharashtra CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis being fed sweets by Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray resigned from Maharashtra CMs post.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray virtually addresses the people of the state, in Mumbai, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Thackeray announced his decision to resign from the post of Maharashtra chief minister.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde with supporting MLAs arrives at Guwahati International Airport, Wednesday, June 29, 2022.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray arrives for a cabinet meeting, at Mantralaya in Mumbai, Wednesday, June 29, 2022.