His silence since the Shiv Sena’s poll debacle has raised many queries. So, when Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray stepped up to address a media conference on Monday, the curiosity was evident.
The sainiks were no less curious than the media to hear him speak. In fact, the 100 odd sainiks gathered at the Sena Bhavan had their own set of questions. But as theirs was not to question why, they requested reporters to pose the questions on their behalf to Thackeray.
The questions that rankled the sainiks were about infighting in the Sena ranks, wrong choice of candidates, and possible changes within the organisation. Thackeray said that there was no infighting; and there was nothing wrong about the choice of candidates. He denied that he was lacking in political charisma. “We do not dwell on the issue of charisma or Kareena,” he said.
According to him, the poll outcome was disappointing, but it was not “abject loss”. “The results are unexpected not only for us, but also for the Congress-NCP. I do not see them celebrating. We worked for the people without keeping the polls in mind. We wanted to rid the state of from farmers’ suicides and load-shedding. We had an opportunity, but we missed it.”
Thackeray took the moral responsibility for the debacle. “As the executive chief, I take the moral responsibility. But I have not committed any crime. I still have the guts to approach the people.”
Thackeray backed his father, Bal Thackeray, who said after the results that Maharashtrians in Mumbai had stabbed the Sena in the back. “Whatever Balasaheb said is absolutely right. But I am confident that Maharashtrians’ love for Balasaheb will never fade,” said the Sena executive president.
He said his war of words with Raj Thackeray was not a family feud. “It was not a family fight. It was a fight between two parties. We agitated for the people, not for ourselves. I had said that every vote for MNS was a vote for Congress.”
