Lok Sabha elections 2024: Uddhav Thackeray’s ultimatum to Congress

Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray after inducting BJP MP from Jalgaon Unmesh Patil into his party, on Wednesday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Unyielding Uddhav Thackeray has asked the Congress to either back out or break the alliance for the contentious Sangli Lok Sabha seat. The Sena (UBT) has refused to withdraw its candidate from Sangli, forcing Congress to dare Thackeray to have a friendly contest there. In Mumbai, the Sena (UBT) president told the ally that he would field his candidate in Mumbai North if the Congress did not take it in addition to Mumbai North Central.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut addresses the media at Matoshree on Wednesday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Sena (UBT) president was addressing media persons after inducting the BJP's sitting MP from Jalgaon Unmesh Patil at his Kalanagar residence, Matoshree, on Wednesday. He announced candidates, including two women, for Kalyan, Palghar, Jalgaon and Hatkanagle. Contrary to expectations, Thackeray did not field Unmesh Patil in Jalgaon, but made Patil's associate Karan Pawar the Sena's contestant against BJP's Smita Wagh.

Take it or forget it

"We have taken four Mumbai seats. We wish that the Congress contests two seats," said Thackeray. Mumbai North Central is the second seat on the Sena's offer list that the Congress is serious about contesting, but it also wants Mumbai South Central instead of Mumbai North, a difficult seat to win, considering the BJP's track record there. Sena (UBT) has fielded former MP Anil Desai in South Central against Rahul Shewale, the incumbent MP who belongs to its rival party, the Shinde Sena.

Attempting to erase insecurity in the Congress camp, Thackeray said the wave against the ‘dictatorship' was such that the Opposition parties could win even a difficult seat like Mumbai North. "We have told the Congress about it. Our party leaders and workers will work wholeheartedly for the Congress wherever it contests. But if it doesn't contest Mumbai North, we will field our candidate," Thackeray said while appealing to the Congress that it should start working as per the seat distribution of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Chandrahar Patil, who is contesting the Sangli seat. Pic/X (right) Vaishali Darekar, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Kalyan candidate. Pic/X

‘Break it, contest it'

Thackeray said there were no friendly contests in elections. He was referring to the Congress' preparedness to field its candidate against Sena (UBT)'s Chandrahar Patil in a ‘friendly' contest in Sangli. Despite repeated appeals from the Congress, Thackeray has not withdrawn his nominee here. The Sena chief justified the move saying, that he had ceded Kolhapur and Ramtek for the Congress. "There cannot be a friendly fight... ‘friendship todo, fight karo (break friendship and fight)'," he said, asking the Congress to work for his candidate in Sangli because his party had already begun a campaign there.

‘We give major jolt'

Thackeray terms the induction of BJP's sitting MP and host of his associates as a major jolt to the BJP. "They say we have received a major jolt whenever someone leaves us. But I say this is a jolt, a major jolt that we have delivered. Unlike those who betrayed us, Patil has truly staged a revolt," said Thackeray. He said the Sena was known for promoting small party workers. "Similarly, some commoners made it big, but left. I won't take them back if they want to return," Thackeray said, commenting on the unrest prevailing in the Shinde Sena camp in view of the BJP's interference.

Appeal to Ambedkar

Thackeray appealed to VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar to avoid undue criticism of the Sena and its leaders. "If we could not get together today, we may come together tomorrow. So, I request him [Ambedkar] to avoid making wild allegations against us. We could have responded to him, but chose not to," he said about Ambedkar's decision to break ties with the Sena and MVA.

Sena (UBT) candidates
Kalyan Vaishali Darekar
Palghar Bharati Kamdi
Jalgaon Karan Pawar
Hatkanagle Satyajit Patil

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Sena UBT candidates declared Wed