A day after MNS chief Raj Thackeray castigated him for the delay in pulling out its Minister in the Union Cabinet in the wake of the BJP snapping its ties with his party, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray announced that Anant Geete, the lone Sena Minister in the NDA Cabinet, would resign as the Union Minister immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return from the United States.
“After Narendra Modi returns to the country, Geete will meet him and hand over his resignation,” Uddhav said, in a brief interaction with media persons here on Monday.
Queried as to the status of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in the Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Uddhav said: “You people seem to be in a hurry. But, I am dealing with everything peacefully”.
Meanwhile, BJP’s general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra Rajiv Pratap Rudy clarified that his party had not sought the Shiv Sena minister’s resignation from the Union Cabinet.
“let me clarify it categorically that we have not sought any resignation from the Shiv Sena. But, I have come to know that Uddhav Thackerayji has said that after Modiji’s return from the United States, Anant Geete would tender his resignation to the Prime Minister. If he has either said so or wishes so, it is his (the Sena chief’s) decision, On its part, the BJP has not made any such demand to the Shiv Sena,” Rudy said.
In a related development, the Shiv Sena slammed the RPI(A) president Ramdas Athavale for snapping his party’s ties with it and going with the BJP-led alliance for the State Assembly polls, to serve his individual interests.
In an editorial published in its official mouth-piece “Saamna”, the Sena stated: "Ramdas Athawale switched sides to make an alliance with the BJP only to grab the goodies offered to him in the form of a Central minister's position for himself, 10 per cent of the government control and some MlCs. By switching sides, he (Athawale) has betrayed the followers who trusted him".
The “Saamana” editorial exhorted Athavale to introspect if his supporters approved the decision (to go with the BJP-led alliance) taken by him.
“We had told him: let us work together and unfurl saffron (sena) and blue (RPI) flag together atop Mantralaya (state secretariat). We also promised that once we are in power, the chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena, while the deputy chief minister's post will go to the RPI(A). This means Ramdas Athavale will himself be the deputy chief minister,” the editorial stated.
“We also told him that Maharashtra belongs as much to Chhatrapati Shivaji, as it is to both late Balasaheb (Thackeray) and Babasaheb (B R Ambedkar). We are not sure whether we have to express our regret over Athavale missing an opportunity of ushering in a revolution in Maharashtra or congratulate him for succumbing to the BJP’s carrot of a berth in the Union Cabinet. For the time being, we congratulate you for accepting the BJP’s offer and express our gratitude to the Dalits across Maharashtra for standing by the Shiv Sena even today,” the editorial stated.
On his part, Athvale chose not to join issue with the Shiv Sena. “let me clarify that I have not gone with the BJP for the sake of opposing the Shiv Sena. We had a situation where two political parties (Shiv Sena and BJP) that were in alliance for the last 25 years, parted ways and we as the RPI(A) had to take some decision. And we decided to go with the BJP,” Athvale said.
Asked as to why he had chosen to go with the BJP when the Sena had offered him deputy chief ministership, Athavale said: “I may have gone with the BJP, but I continue to be their (Sena’s) friend even today. After the Assembly polls, I will try to bring both the saffron alliance partners together once again so that they can rule the state together”,
