Social worker Sushma Andhare on Thursday joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray. Welcoming her the former Maharashtra chief minister said that everyone is welcome in the “constitutional fight” to save democracy.
Welcoming the social worker along with her “fighters”, the former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that it is a constitutional fight to save India’s democracy.
“Those who remain present in tough times are always remembered. It is a constitutional fight to save the democracy of the country. There are two battles going on, but I will not speak on the legal battle,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 26) agreed to hear on August 1 a fresh plea of the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp of Shiv Sena that sought a stay on the proceedings before the Election Commission of India on Eknath Shinde group’s claim for recognition as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena.
Thackeray further added that the Supreme Court will not only decide the future of Shiv Sena but will also take a decision for the existence of democracy in the country.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena have each approached the Supreme Court over the disqualification of 16 rebel legislators and the claim for the party’s election symbol- the bow and arrow.
The Election Commission has told both the Sena factions to produce documentary evidence by August 8 to prove who represents the Maharashtra party.
Throwing a barb at CM Eknath Shinde and other rebel leaders of the party, Thackeray further said, “The ones raised by us have left us…Yesterday (on Thackeray’s birthday) we saw a huge crowd as people all across the state extended their support.”
Shiv Sena’s Thackeray and Shinde factions are locked in a bitter tussle to prove which of them is the real representative of the party that was founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.
Shinde had recently led a revolt of Shiv Sena MLAs and 10 independents that triggered the collapse of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state. He recently formed a national executive of his faction, claiming it to be the real Shiv Sena. “We need to start a new beginning and create uncommon people from the public to go ahead with the battle,” Thackeray added.
