Amid rising speculation of a potential rift within Shiv Sena (UBT), Uddhav Thackeray has expressed his willingness to resign as the party president if the members are dissatisfied with his leadership. During the 60th foundation day celebration of Shiv Sena in Mumbai, Thackeray addressed party workers, stating he would step down if they lacked confidence in him, while emphasizing the importance of keeping the party free from those he deemed as betrayers.
Thackeray’s comments come as reports suggest that several Shiv Sena (UBT) Members of Parliament might switch allegiance to the faction led by Eknath Shinde. He expressed regret to voters who supported candidates under his leadership and voiced his disappointment over these potential defections. Thackeray reiterated his openness to welcoming new leaders from within the party’s ranks, as long as the party’s integrity remains intact.
In his address, Thackeray launched a scathing critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of attempting to weaken and dismantle Shiv Sena. He claimed that the BJP’s actions were contributing to a political landscape in India increasingly dominated by a single party system, which he viewed as detrimental to a healthy democratic framework.
Thackeray also touched upon the party’s historical relationship with the Congress. Despite their longstanding political rivalry, he acknowledged that the Congress had never attempted to eliminate Shiv Sena. However, he firmly ruled out any possibility of merging with Congress, reaffirming Shiv Sena’s founding mission to represent the interests of the Marathi-speaking populace.