, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday declared that he was willing to step down from the party's top post){kind=link}
Amid a growing crisis within Shiv Sena (UBT), party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday declared that he was willing to step down from the party’s top post if workers no longer had confidence in his leadership.
Addressing party workers on the occasion of Shiv Sena’s Foundation Day, Thackeray said he was prepared to hand over the reins to any dedicated party member if the cadre believed he was no longer fit to lead. However, he stressed that the party, which he described as invaluable, should never be allowed to fall into the hands of those who had betrayed its ideals.
“If the allegations being made against me are something that you truly believe, then tell me directly and I am ready to step down from this position immediately. I have only one condition — this Shiv Sena (UBT), which is as precious as gold, must not be handed over to thieves and looters,” Thackeray told party workers.
His remarks come at a crucial time for the party. Days earlier, six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped an important parliamentary meeting convened by the leadership, fuelling speculation that they may switch allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The development has intensified concerns over another possible split within the party, which has already been grappling with the fallout of the 2022 rebellion led by Shinde.
Acknowledging the setback, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister apologised to voters and party supporters, saying the electorate had placed its trust in the party but some elected representatives had chosen a different path.
Despite the political turbulence, Thackeray asserted that Shiv Sena (UBT) would continue to uphold its ideology and fight attempts to weaken the organisation. He also dismissed speculation that the party was moving towards a merger with the Congress.
Drawing a comparison with Shiv Sena’s long-standing alliance with the BJP, Thackeray said that despite decades of partnership, the party had never merged with its former ally and had maintained its separate identity. The same principle, he argued, applied to its current political associations.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a fresh attack on Thackeray during a separate Foundation Day event. Shinde accused the former chief minister of abandoning the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray by aligning with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Describing the latest political developments as “just a trailer,” Shinde hinted that more leaders could leave the Uddhav camp in the coming days. He reiterated that his faction represented the true legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and defended the decision to align with the BJP.
Shinde also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted the unity within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance, which comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.
The exchange of sharp remarks between the two leaders underscores the continuing battle for political legitimacy and control over Shiv Sena’s legacy, nearly four years after the party’s dramatic split reshaped Maharashtra’s political landscape.