‘Got calls from Varsha and Matoshree’, says Waddetiwar

Wadettiwar, while speaking to the media in Chandrapur on Thursday, said he got at least 25 phone calls from Bandra, referring to the residence of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Amid a spree of Opposition leaders joining the ruling parties, Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly, said he was being wooed by the Shiv Sena, creating a controversy.

Wadettiwar, who quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 along with former chief minister and Sena leader Narayan Rane, has been elected to the legislative Assembly. (HT FILE)

Wadettiwar, while speaking to the media in Chandrapur on Thursday, said he got at least 25 phone calls from Bandra, referring to the residence of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. He said he has been called by the Sena leaders for discussion, but he did not respond.

“I did not respond to the calls from Matoshree, but then received two calls from Varsha, the residence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. I have denied to talk to them on this subject. I am happy in my party... Shiv Sena has been trying to poach the leader of opposition to score over the BJP that inducted Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil into its fold,” he said.

Wadettiwar, who quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 along with former chief minister and Sena leader Narayan Rane, has been elected to the legislative Assembly.

He was made the leader of Opposition after Vikhe Patil quit the Congress, after the Lok Sabha elections.

The leader also said that the Mahajanadesh Yatra was launched by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, as his government failed on all fronts, including industrial development and generation of jobs.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said it was an attempt by the Congress leader to keep the morale of the workers high. “The statement has come in the backdrop of the mass exodus from the Congress. By saying this, he is trying to keep the morale of his workers and leaders who are in two minds high.”