Don’t aspire to be Maharashtra CM now, didn’t in 2019 either: Uddhav

Amid the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies’ reluctance to face the Maharashtra Assembly polls with a CM face, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has said he does not harbour any aspirations to become the chief minister.

Thackeray claimed on Sunday (September 15) that he did not aspire to become the chief minister in the 2019 Assembly polls also.

“Empowered by people’s support”

Thackeray was addressing state government employees protesting for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme in Ahmednagar when he made the remarks.

“Whether I am in power or not, I feel empowered by the support of the people. Balasaheb (Thackeray) never held a position of power but all powers were wrested with him because of people’s support,” Thackeray said.

MVA undecided over CM face

Notably, Thackeray had last month asked the NCP(SP) and the Congress to decide on a chief ministerial face for the MVA but failed to get a positive response.

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of the MVA, has asserted that there is no need for the MVA to declare a CM face.

The chief ministerial candidate will be decided based on which party wins the maximum number of seats in the alliance, Pawar said.

“Power of people is important”

Thackeray further said the people of Maharashtra were his strength and power. “No one can retire me as long as you support me,” he said.

Hitting out at his bete noire, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said those who betrayed their parent party, which enabled their political rise, can also betray the people.

“For this reason, I don’t want this government to come to power again. I have no aspirations to be the chief minister now and even at that time (November 2019 when the MVA government came to power after the elections) …. You can’t retire me. As long as I enjoy your support, power is in my hands. The power of people is important,” he added.

Thackeray’s stint as CM

Thackeray took oath as the chief minister after the Shiv Sena (undivided) parted ways with its long-time ally, the BJP, and joined hands with the NCP (undivided) and Congress after the Assembly elections in November 2019.

However, he had to resign in June 2022 after Shinde pulled off a coup and toppled the MVA government with the help of the BJP.

(With agency inputs)