Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is in such a position that he will have to accept even if the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) give his party just two Lok Sabha seats to contest in Maharashtra, said state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Bawankule said the BJP treated Thackeray like an elder brother when it had an alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena. BJP leader claimed that the Congress has already laid its hands on the Ramtek constituency, which was earlier with the Shiv Sena, now being headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Thackeray broke ties with the BJP in 2019 after differences cropped up over the chief minister’s post. He then joined hands with the Congress and NCP to become the CM under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), but his government fell last year following a rebellion led by Shinde. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats of which the undivided Shiv Sena won in 18 constituencies in 2019.
Uddhav Thackeray will have to say yes even if Sharad Pawar or Sonia Gandhi asks his party to contest on just two seats as has no other option left. It was the BJP that treated Uddhav Thackeray like an elder brother and gave him seats as per his wishes, he said.