Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray late on Wednesday vacated his official residence 'Varsha' at Malabar Hill to return to his private home 'Matoshri' in Bandra along with his family.
The move came hours after his emotional appeal to the rebel group of Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Minister Eknath Shinde, that he (Thackeray) was ready to quit both as Chief Minister and as party President, provided the rebels met him and made the demand.
Thackeray - who tested Covid-19 positive this morning - also said that he had kept his resignation letter ready and any of the rebels could go and hand it over to the Governor.
Earlier, in a direct, emotional challenge to the group of rebels led by Minister Eknath Shinde who are presently in Assam, Thackeray lamented the present situation in which he said:
"My own (Shiv Sainiks) don't want me as CM."
"But why go to Surat or some other places to say this. Shinde could have just come and told me right here. I would have quit immediately," Thackeray said.
He said that ever since the political crisis erupted late on Monday, both Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and Congress observer Kamal Nath categorically told him that they fully support him, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi regularly speaks with him. "Today, my own Shiv Sainiks don't want me to continue as CM. So, I am ready to resign, leave 'Varsha' (official CM residence) and go to my 'Matoshri' (private home). I am even ready to quit as Sena President. I shall be very delighted if some other Shiv Sainik becomes the CM," said Thackeray. Saying that he would pen his resignation letter, he urged the rebels - who have 'disappeared or were made to disappear', to come and deliver his resignation letter to Raj Bhavan. "Let any rebel Sena MLA come and tell me face-to-face that we don't want you. Not on social media. They can come and take my resignation letter to Raj Bhavan as I am down with Covid-19," asserted Thackeray.
On his part, Shinde responded by saying that steps would have to be taken for Hindutva and reiterated his demand to break off all ties with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The crisis shows no sign of defusing despite effects by the MVA allies, the offer to quit by the CM, and even his decision to vacate his official residence.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
