Aaditya Thackeray predicts collapse of Eknath Shinde government

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday claimed that the Eknath Shinde-led government will soon collapse and Maharashtra will have mid-term elections. Speaking before a gathering of party workers here on the third day of his `Shiv Samvad Yatra, an outreach campaign, he also said the rebel Sena legislators betrayed his father, then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, when he was unwell.

Aaditya Thackeray hit out at the new government over its decision to halt the process of renaming Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by his father Uddhav Thackeray, only to issue the order again."These legislators rebelled despite getting more in two-and-half years (of Maha Vikas Aghadi rule) than what they did in the last three to four terms. Let the people decide about them (in polls)," he said, adding that the doors of 'Matoshree' will remain open for those who left.Eknath Shinde led the revolt against Uddhav Thackeray, taking away more than 40 Shiv Sena MLAs into its fold. After failing to win back the MLAs, Thackeray resigned as the chief minister on June 29.The Thackerays and the Eknath Shinde faction was embroiled in a bitter war to claim the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. The chief minister's faction has written to the Election Commission, seeking allocation of the party's bow and arrow symbol to it, PTI reported.