On June 23, rebel Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar said in a statement that no one was demanding Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation, but their demand was to return to the natural alliance that is with Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking to Times Now, Kesarkar detailed what was going on in Maharashtra. When asked as CM Thackeray was returning to Matoshree (personal resident of CM Thackeray) if there was any chance of saving the government, Kesarkar said, “The rebel never happened for the resignation of Uddhav Sahab. MLAs have some issues with the parties that we are in alliance with. Had those issued been resolved, this situation would never happen. I am still in Mumbai and attending all the meetings being conducted by Shiv Sena. Whatever issue has been raised in front of me, I have forwarded it to the CM.”
#UddhavOnEdge
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 23, 2022
[WATCH] | ‘Rebel camp insider’ on TIMES NOW!
Nobody has asked for CM Uddhav’s resignation. Our demand is that he should go ahead with our natural alliance (BJP): Deepak Kesarkar, Shiv Sena MLA speaks exclusively to @NavikaKumar pic.twitter.com/iVXcgrM0QN
He added, “This is not the first time I have raised an issue with the parties in the alliance. I have been speaking it for over 1.5 years. My personal view is it is not a national alliance. There is no coordination between leaders from alliance parties and CM. If the coordination is not there, the state cannot progress.”
When asked why CM did not act on the issues raised by Kesarkar, he said, “My aim was to ensure coordination between Delhi and Maharashtra. There was a meeting in that direction, but we could not find a solution to the problem. The coordination should be good between the parties in the state and the central government, even if the party is in opposition. I had told CM that if our own house is burning, it should be taken care of first. It does not matter whom we alliance with.”
He further added that BJP should have been patient and not spoken ill of the Thackeray family. He said, “No one speaks ill of them. This family has done so much for the state. There were accusations against Aditya Thackeray that had messed up the situation.”
Speaking to Republic, he said, “I had been very firm on my stand that Sena should go with BJP in the alliance.” He further added there were Shiv Sena workers following him despite his firm demand to the General Secretary of the party not to indulge in such acts. He said, “I had told them to stop sending cars to follow me; otherwise, I have to take some action, but they were still there in the morning.”
#LIVE on #UddhavCrisis | ‘Have all the respect for Uddhav Thackeray, but we have been insisting on the alliance with BJP. If the PM and CM work together, the state will prosper’: Deepak Kesarkar speaks to Republic TV
— Republic (@republic) June 23, 2022
Watch here –https://t.co/y2AfXSvQyB pic.twitter.com/2zN41KfPdV
He further added, “We never asked for his resignation but told him that the important ministries are with the ministers from parties that we are in alliance with. They are not releasing funds for the constituencies of Shiv Sena. We told him that it has to stop.” He said before leaving Mumbai, he personally had a word with CM. He said, “I have been saying this for a long. When PM and CM work together, the state prospers.”
The political unrest in Maharashtra
The political unrest in Maharashtra started after reports of cross-voting during MLC elections, where the BJP won five seats despite lacking enough numbers in the assembly. Eknath Shinde, along with other rebel leaders, went untraceable after the results. Later it was reported that the rebel leaders of Shiv Sena were lodged in a hotel in Surat, from where they shifted to Assam.
