‘Sharad Pawar exploited Uddhav Thackeray’s absence to weaken Shiv Sena’

Kadam said Pawar exploited the absence of Thackeray during the Covid-19 pandemic, alleging the NCP chief had wanted to break the Sena since the time of Balasaheb Thackeray.

Shiv Sena MLA Ramdas Kadam on Tuesday said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar was breaking the party, weeks after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra collapsed following a rebellion in the Sena engineered by Eknath Shinde. The NCP was also part of the coalition government along with the Congress.

File photo of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.  (ANI)

Kadam said Pawar exploited the absence of Thackeray during the Covid-19 pandemic, alleging the NCP chief had wanted to break the Sena since the time of Balasaheb Thackeray.

“It was Sharad Pawar who broke the party (Shiv Sena). He was trying to end it since Balasaheb was there but never found a chance. Now he made Uddhav the CM. Uddhav didn't go out during Covid and then was ill for six months. He made use of it,” Kadam was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“It was not acceptable to any of us that the son of the Shiv Sena chief was sitting with the NCP and Congress ministers,” he added.

The Shiv Sena MLA also lauded Shinde for leading the rebellion against the Thackeray government, saying if he hadn't taken the step, the Sena would have been reduced to less than 10 MLAs in the next election.

Kadam further said he would be joining the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena, a day after he was sacked by the Thackeray camp for anti-party activities. On Monday, Kadam had in a letter to Thackeray tendered his resignation as "Shiv Sena leader", while the latter said he had been sacked.

"Had Eknath Shinde not taken this step, Shiv Sena would not even have had 10 MLAs in the next election. I would thank MLAs who went with Shinde. I worked in the party for 52 years and then I was expelled. I am joining Eknath Shinde today onwards," he further added.

Meanwhile, seeking to dismiss Kadam's allegations against Pawar, NCP's chief spokesperson said the BJP was behind the split in the Shiv Sena and that the rebel leaders were trying to divert the attention from it by targeting Pawar.

Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Sena, NCP, and Congress, collapsed last month after Shinde and 39 other Sena MLAs revolted against the party.