Maharashtra political crisis: Our own people have backstabbed us today, says Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, Jun 24: As the Shiv Sena battles a rebellion within, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he had suspected the rebellion by Eknath Shinde a few days ago and called Shinde.

''A few days back when I suspected this, I called Eknath Shinde&told him to perform his duty of taking Shiv Sena forward, doing this isn't right. He told me NCP-Congress are trying to finish us & MLAs want us to go with BJP. I told him to bring to me MLAs who want it," Uddhav revealed in an address on Friday, as reported by news agency ANI.

"Congress and NCP are supporting us today, Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi have supported us. But our own people have backstabbed us. We gave tickets to people who could not have won and we made them victorious. Those people have backstabbed us today," said the Maharashtra CM.

''BJP, that defamed our party, my family, is the one you are talking about going with. Such a question doesn't even arise. If MLAs want to go there they can, all of them can. I won't. If someone wants to go - be it an MLA or someone else - come & tell us and then go'', the chief minister said.

Uddhav said,''If you think I'm useless and incapable of running the party, tell me. I'm ready to separate myself from the party, you can tell me. You respected me so far because Balasaheb said so. If you say I am incapable, then I am ready to quit the party right at this moment.''

''When BJP and Shiv Sena were considered untouchables in the name of Hindutva and nobody was ready to go with BJP, Balasaheb said there shouldn't be a division of Hindutva votes. We remained with BJP and we are suffering its consequences now," said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

''Those who left us have no option but to go to BJP. The BJP wants just one thing - to finish Shiv Sena,'' Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

''Many of you might be getting phone calls - some loving & some threatening. I say, har sher ko sava sher milta hi hai. You'll find sava sher in Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena like a sword, if you keep it in sheath,it rusts. If you take it out, it shines. It's time to shine,'' said the Maharashtra CM.