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Mumbai: Raj Thackeray, at last, formally renounced
himself from the Shiv Sena on Sunday. Addressing his
supporters at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Raj declared that
he would float his own party, most probably in January
next year, after touring the state.
The separated Thackeray maintained that he was not in
favour of joining any other party. He acknowledged that
it had been a “very painful decision”. Raj
shed light on the emotional turmoil he has been through
in taking this decision. “On one hand was my party
and on the other, my home,” said the visibly hurt
leader. Raj, once again, equated his mentor and uncle,
Bal Thackeray, to Lord Vitthal and reiterated “he
was, is and will always be God to me”.
Raj claims that he has support of several party MPs,
MLAs and corporators, however, he does not wish to “create
my party by breaking the Sena”. He explained that
the new party would “make real, the dream of the
Sena chief for Maharashtra and also my dream for the
state. He also added, “In my letter, I also told
him that the Sena should be restructured in order to
regain lost glory. For this, your time starts now.”
Raj made it clear that there was nothing that had to
be discussed with the estranged family. “No change
has happened so far. The Sena, with Uddhav and his coterie
taking all decisions, has been floundering in the past
six-seven years," Raj said. He also disclosed that,
in the meeting on December 15, uncle Bal Thackeray had
offered that Raj administer the Pune, Nashik and Konkan
regions. “I rejected the proposal,” he confirmed.
Raj, without naming anyone, alleged that the proposal
offered by Thackeray senior was in reality “someone
else’s”.
Raj had quit from all posts of the Sena on November
27 accusing Sena Executive President and cousin, Uddhav,
of being incompetent in running the party. Raj repeated
his beliefs about Uddhav’s incapabilities, even
as he announced his own separation. Meanwhile, Uddhav
Thackeray has maintained, “his departure will
not affect the Sena in any way.”
Though Raj Thackeray has not yet named the political
outfit he plans to float, the reality is that his biggest
challenge is the up coming tour of the state —
when the actual support for his new party will become
discernible.
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