Sena sources indicated that there were chances the party was likely to quit the state government next year, with Uddhav making the announcement at the Dusshera rally.
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state went to polls on Thursday, the Maharashtra BJP government received its own jolt as Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray said the Sena would quit the coalition next year and come to power on its own merit.
The timing of Aaditya's statement is crucial — on Thursday, the Shiv Sena came to power in the Thane zilla parishad, which comprises the fast-urbanising areas of Mumbai's extended suburbs like Ambernath, Bhiwandi, Shahapur, Kalyan and Murbad. The Sena won 26 of the 53 seats in Thane.
"In one year, Sena will quit the government and come to power on its own. However, president Uddhav Thackeray will decide when we will leave the government," said Aaditya, Uddhav's elder son. He was speaking at a public meeting in Ahmednagar, when he called on people to transform Maharashtra.
Aaditya also said that though the Sena was part of the government, it was performing the role of a 'paharedar' (watchman).
"Women are not safe under this regime. The youth are astray. Farmers are being short-changed. Traders are facing a downturn," he claimed.
Interestingly, the Sena is currently attempting to don two contradictory hats — being in power and acting as the opposition, attacking the BJP and Prime Minister Modi on a range of issues.
Sena sources indicated that there were chances the party was likely to quit the state government next year, with Uddhav making the announcement at the Dusshera rally.
Last month, NCP chief and former union minister Sharad Pawar dropped a bombshell by revealing that Uddhav and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who is the executive editor of the party organ Saamana, had indicated to him that they were unhappy in the government.
To set tongues wagging, Uddhav had also called on Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to Mumbai. Recently, in an editorial in Saamana, the party had also come out in support of the Congress after Modi's allegations that Pakistan was trying to manipulate the Gujarat polls in its (Congress) favour.
The Shiv Sena has also put up candidates in Gujarat and party insiders admit that though none may make a cut at the hustings in the largely bi-polar polity, they may take away some of the BJP's votes in Maharashtrian dominated and pro-Hindutva pockets. A slimmer mandate for the BJP in Gujarat may lead to the Shiv Sena becoming more aggressive.
"The Congress seems to be poised for some gains in Maharashtra and this may hurt the BJP and also the Sena," admitted a Shiv Sena source. Sena cadre admit that though the party is in power, it has meant little for them as the legislators are divided over whether they should pull out of the government.
The turnaround could well be the result in the change of status quo as the party is unable to come to terms with it role as a junior ally in a partnership that it earlier dominated between 1989 to 2014.
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