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A Shiv Sena MLA has a suggestion for Uddhav Thackeray: 'Better if you get closer to PM Modi'
Central agencies are after Shiv Sena leaders for "no reason", the MLA wrote urging Uddhav Thackeray to get closer to PM Modi.
As not all seems well between the Shiv Sena and the Congress in the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Maharashtra, a Shiv Sena MLA has written a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray offering a suggestion. "I believe it will be better if you get closer to PM Modi...if we come together once again, it will be beneficial to the party and workers," Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarmaik has written. news agency ANI reported. In his letter, he mentioned that Congress and the NCP are trying to weaken the coalition and there seems to be veiled support from the Centre, as no central agency is behind any NCP leader, he said.
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Sarnaik has recently been accused in a money laundering case. "Central agencies are targeting us for no fault of our, if you come close to PM Modi, sufferings of leaders like Ravindra Waikar, Anil Parab, Pratap Sarnaik and their families will end," he wrote.
Reacting to the letter, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said if the letter is authentic, then it raises an important issue that MLAs of Maha Vikash Aghadi are being harassed. "An MLA has written to the chief minister. What should I say about this? However, he has, if the letter is authentic, raised a very important issue that MLAs of Maha Vikas Aghadi are being harassed," Raut told ANI.
Congress wants to go solo in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Congress has recently announced that it will go solo in all forthcoming local elections starting with the Brihanmumbai Municipal election. In the next assembly election too, Congress wants to elect alone.
People will beat with footwear: Uddhav
Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana slammed Congress' "overconfidence" and said there is no point in saying such things when one does not have the majority figure on its side. It also said Sena will continue the alliance with NCP if Congress wants to go alone. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said people would beat with footwear those who only talk about contesting elections alone without offering solutions to people's problems. He, however, did not take any party's name, as he was addressing on the occasion of Shiv Sena's 55th foundation day.
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Reacting to that, Nana Patole on Sunday said it is not clear whom Uddhav referred to but the three-party alliance is only for five years and is not a permanent fixture, Patole said.
As Maharashtra is gradually coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, rumours are doing the rounds that the CM post will not remain with the Sena. Uddhav Thackeray recently held a one-on-one meeting with PM Modi in Delhi. But Shiv Sena has refuted such rumours and said when three parties formed the government, they all agreed that Uddhav Thackeray will be the chief minister for five years.
In 2019, the Sena and Congress, adversaries for decades, formed government in Maharashtra along with the NCP after Sena's fall-out with the BJP in 2019.
(With Agency Inputs)
