Uddhav Thackeray takes loyalty affidavits from Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs

Thackeray also appointed his son, Aaditya Thackeray, who was re-elected from the Worli constituency, as the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s legislative party

Mumbai: Following his party’s rout in the Maharashtra assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with his 20 newly elected MLAs on Monday, during which he made them sign affidavits of loyalty to the party.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray with party leader Sanjay Raut during a press conference after the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, in Mumbai, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI11_23_2024_000426A) (PTI)

Thackeray also appointed his son, Aaditya Thackeray, who was re-elected from the Worli constituency, as the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s legislative party. The party’s senior-most MLA, Bhaskar Jadhav, was made the group leader in the assembly.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also plans to claim the post of leader of opposition in the state assembly, after securing the highest number of seats among the Maha Vikas Aghadi parties. Its allies, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), won 16 and 10 seats, respectively.

During Monday’s meeting, held at Thackeray’s residence Matoshree, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s 20 MLAs were asked to sign affidavits that said, “I will remain loyal to the party and will abide by the decisions and policy decided by the party chief Uddhav Thackeray.” The decision appears to stem from comments by leaders of the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena claiming that Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs are likely to switch sides in the coming days.

The decision to appoint Aaditya Thackeray, 34, as the leader of the legislative party appears to be a strategic one to prevent a repeat of what happened in 2022. Back then, Shinde, who was the leader of the undivided Shiv Sena’s legislative party, led a rebellion that ended with a majority of its MLAs defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s side.

The appointment of seven-time MLA Bhaskar Jadhav as group leader in the state assembly is likely down to his being an aggressive orator and his knowledge of the rules and regulations of the proceedings in the assembly. Jadhav is also the only Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA who won a seat in the Konkan region, which was the party’s bastion until 2019. Sunil Prabhu will continue to be the party’s chief whip.

During the meeting, Thackeray congratulated his 20 newly-elected MLAs for their victory and directed them to attack the Mahayuti government, which won a historic mandate of 235 seats out of 288, fearlessly. “Although we are less in number than earlier, being from the Shiv Sena, your voice will be equal to that of ruling parties. Even if [senior BJP leader and former chief minister] Devendra Fadnavis leads the ruling alliance, attack the government fearlessly,” Thackeray said in the meeting, according to people who were present.

After the meeting, Jadhav thanked Thackeray for appointing him as the group leader in the assembly. “My appointment was a surprise for me. According to me, Aaditya Thackeray would have been a good choice for the post. But the party chief directed me to accept the post. I will try my best to repay the confidence shown in me by him. After the formation of government, we will approach the speaker of the assembly to claim the post of leader of opposition,” he said.