Maharashtra: After NCP split, Thackeray waits to see ‘how BJP handles new riff-raff’
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in an obvious dig at the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar that joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra a week ago, said on Sunday (July 9) that he was waiting to see how the BJP handles its new “riff-raff”.
On July 2, Ajit Pawar led a split in the NCP and joined the Shinde government as deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP MLAs also took oath as state cabinet ministers.
Thackeray was speaking to reporters in Nagpur after starting a two-day tour of the Vidarbha region in Maharashtra on Sunday when he made the remarks.
On the issue of petitions seeking the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, he said the state Assembly Speaker would have to decide on it within a given framework. He said if the Speaker tried to “bypass” it, they would again move Supreme Court.
The Thackeray-headed Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed in June last year following a revolt led by Shinde against the Shiv Sena leadership. Shinde later became the CM with BJP’s support.
Asked about his views on the ruling BJP, Thackeray said, “I do not think the BJP deserves anything to be said about it. It has no right to preach. I am just waiting to see how the BJP handles the new riff-raff.”
Notably, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said on Saturday that notices have been issued to 40 MLAs of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 14 of the Thackeray faction, including his son Aaditya Thackeray, seeking their replies on disqualification petitions against them.
These legislators have been given seven days to file their reply, he said.
Narwekar said on Friday he had received a copy of the Shiv Sena’s constitution from the Election Commission of India and that the hearing on the disqualification petitions against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including CM Shinde, would start soon.
Commenting on the pleas seeking the disqualification of the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, Thackeray said the Supreme Court had already given a framework to the Maharashtra Speaker.
Also read: BJP seems to have plans to destroy state-level parties: Sharad Pawar
“The Speaker will have to decide on the disqualification issue within the given framework. If he tries to bypass it, the Supreme Court’s doors are always open for us,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) recently approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Assembly Speaker to hear the disqualification petitions expeditiously.
On May 11, the top court ruled that Shinde would continue to be the chief minister of Maharashtra and the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government headed by Thackeray could not be reinstated, as the latter had chosen to resign without facing a floor test in the wake of Shinde’s rebellion.
(With agency inputs)
