A senior Sena (UBT) functionary said 11-12 rebel leaders, including MLAs, wanted to greet Uddhav on his birthday on July 27 and call on him, but Uddhav “took the moral high ground and declined to meet them.”
Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant denied that any of the 40 Sena MLAs had reached out to Uddhav. “In fact, 10 Sena (UBT) MLAs wished CM Eknath Shinde on his birthday and six of them will join the Shinde-led Sena soon. We can also give out the names, but we believe in some political ethics. When we were working under Uddhav Thackeray as CM, he never gave MLAs a chance to meet and talk about issues they were facing and issues of the state. That is why 40 of us had to revolt. All 40 MLAs and independent MLAs have 100% faith and trust in CM Shinde. The fact that a leader like Ajit Pawar joined the government is proof of the popularity and development works being done by CM Shinde,” Samant said.
Samant further said, “The Sena (UBT) is spreading such rumours to defame the CM and create instability. There is no question of any MLA reaching out to them. This is nothing but disinformation.”
The Sena (UBT) functionary claimed that over the last several weeks, rebel leaders including MLAs have sent feelers that they wish to meet Uddhav. NCP MLA Rohit Pawar had recently said that 15 MLAs who had joined Shinde would try to go back to Uddhav Thackeray in the days to come. Rohit, Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew, said talks were ongoing but it remains to be seen whether Uddhav Thackeray will take them back or not.
“The rebel leaders including MLAs wanted to call on Uddhav and give him flowers. But Uddhavji clearly refused and said it wouldn’t be right to meet or even talk to anyone from among those who had betrayed him at a time when loyalists were battling it out every day. Uddhavji took the moral high ground; this was also expected from Sharad Pawar,” the UBT functionary said.
However, the functionary refused to give names of the MLAs who had wanted to wish Uddhav. “As Uddhavji refused, this chapter ended,” the functionary said.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre also said the Sena (UBT) was floating such bogus claims to keep their party relevant and denied the reports. “They should give out names of those MLAs or leaders who want to meet (Uddhav Thackeray). If these leaders had so much affection for Uddhavji, they would not have left him,” Mhatre said.
