Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday resigned as the Chief Minister today, two and a half years after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed in Maharashtra. While announcing his resignation un a social media post, an emotional Thackeray told the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs that he was not interested in their “game,” and will step down, a day ahead of the floor test. Here are the top remarks by the outgoing Maharashtra CM:
“When everything was going well for us, this move was very surprising. I have no interest in the MLC seat as well. I am now with the people.”
While asking the rebel MLAs to return to Mumbai as there is no threat to their lives, Thackeray said, “Today you need paramilitary forces’ protection to come to Mumbai? Please come to Mumbai, we will not stop you.
“Has democracy boiled down to only numbers? Even if one Shiv Sainik is against me, I will feel ashamed.”
“Don’t want to part of this game. I know who are your allies and I know you have the majority. You have all benefitted from Balasaheb Thackeray, and today you have managed to bring down the son of Balasaheb. You can celebrate that fact. That is my sin.”
“Whatever we do, we do for the Marathi Manus. I have no longing for any chair. I am resigning.”
“After the cabinet gave an official nod to rename Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv, Thackeray, in a reference to the ‘rebel’ Shiv Sena legislators, said, “I have been able to fulfil Balasaheb’s dream…The ones who wanted the renaming of these places are not present with me, the ones who opposed it all along were present with me ironically.”
“Who are you angry with? Are you angry with me? Are you angry with my party? Or, Are you angry with my agenda? Why didn’t you come and meet me in Matoshree instead of going to Guwahati, Goa or Surat? Whatever you feel, please come and tell it to my face. We had accepted you as our own — couldn’t you have come forward and spoken to me?”
“I had come (to power) in an unexpected manner and I am going out in a similar fashion. I am not going away forever, I will be here, and I will once again sit in Shiv Sena Bhawan. I will gather all my people.”
“Some kind of bad luck has come upon my government, but I want to thank Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. I want to express my gratitude to the people of NCP and Congress that they supported me. From Shiv Sena, Anil Parab, Subhash Desai and Aaditya Thackeray, these people were only present when the cabinet proposal for renaming the towns was passed.”
