The Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde said it is vital for the party to get out of the "unnatural alliance" with the NCP and Congress. He said the Sena suffered over the past 2.5 years while other parties in the alliance grew stronger.
"To save the party and the Shiv Sainiks, it is vital that the unnatural alliance be junked. It is important to make this decision in the interest of Maharashtra," he tweeted. The rebel leader has demanded that Shiv Sena must restore its (old) alliance with the BJP and rule Maharashtra.
The statement was made right after the alliance partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi suggested that Shinde be named the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Shinde is now camping in the BJP-ruled Assam with his supporters, reported NDTV.
Seven more Shiv Sena MLAs need to join the cause of Eknath Shinde to split the party without risking disqualification under the anti-defection law.
On day 2 of the controversial move, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray addressed supporters in an emotional speech. He asked why the party should ally with BJP when in the old days of alliance, Sena suffered.
He added that if the rebel leaders ask him to resign, he will quit his position as Chief Minister. "The Chief Minister's position came to me accidentally. It's not something I yearn for". He also alleged that he was getting calls from MLAs who went with Eknath Shinde claiming they were kidnapped.
Thackeray mentioned the talks with Shinde and his supporters are on but declared he cannot be Chief Minister if his own party members do not want him to be. "Despite (NCP leader Sharad) Pawar Saheb's and (Congress leader) Kamal Nath's support, if my own people don't want me to be Chief Minister then what should I do? I don't know if I can call them my people because they don't see me as theirs".