During the 60th foundation day celebrations of Shiv Sena in Mumbai on Friday, Uddhav Thackeray expressed his readiness to resign as the party president if the party workers no longer supported his leadership. Thackeray addressed the gathering amid rising speculations of a potential split within Shiv Sena (UBT) and emphasized his openness to new leadership emerging from within the party. However, he firmly stated his opposition to allowing the organization to fall into the hands of those he labeled as betrayers.
These statements come at a time when reports suggest that several Members of Parliament from Shiv Sena (UBT) might be considering switching their allegiance to Eknath Shinde’s faction. Thackeray took the opportunity to apologize to voters who backed candidates under his leadership, expressing his disappointment over the speculated defections within the party ranks.
Thackeray took a decisive stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of attempting to weaken and dismantle Shiv Sena. He further claimed that India’s political landscape is shifting towards a single-party dominance. This criticism was part of a broader narrative where Thackeray highlighted the pressures faced by his party amidst the changing dynamics in Indian politics.
In his speech, Thackeray also touched upon the party’s relationship with the Congress. He remarked that despite decades of political rivalry, the Congress had never endeavored to eliminate Shiv Sena. However, he made it clear that there would be no merger with the Congress, underscoring that Shiv Sena was established to advocate for the interests of the Marathi community.