NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday made an emotional appeal to party workers amid a fresh rebellion in the party, saying he was ready to step down as party chief if supporters no longer had faith in his leadership.Addressing the party’s 60th Foundation Day event in Mumbai, Thackeray said, “I am ready to quit the party chief’s post if you don’t have trust and faith in me,” as he sought to rally the cadre following the defection of six Lok Sabha MPs.Projecting confidence despite the setback, Thackeray asserted that Shiv Sainiks were not demoralised by the rebellion. “Shiv Sainiks are not disheartened but fired up,” he said, in an apparent reference to speculation about another split in the party.In a direct message to voters, Thackeray said, “I apologise to electors who in 2024 voted for Lok Sabha MPs who have now defected,” expressing regret over the departure of six of the party’s nine MPs.The former Maharashtra chief minister also dismissed suggestions that Shiv Sena (UBT) could merge with the Congress, saying the party had maintained its independent identity despite being allied with the BJP for three decades.“If we didn’t merge with BJP after 30 years of alliance, how can we merge with Congress?” Thackeray said.Responding to criticism about his leadership style, he defended his outreach efforts across Maharashtra and pointed to the party’s electoral performance. “If I didn’t meet party workers or travel across Maharashtra, how did we win elections?” he asked.Taking aim at the political situation in the country, Thackeray warned that India was moving towards a “one party, no election” system, which he described as a threat to democracy.The remarks came against the backdrop of a crisis within Shiv Sena (UBT), with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs skipping a recent parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi, fuelling speculation that they may join the ruling alliance. The development has sparked talk of “Operation Tiger”, a possible fresh split in the party.At the foundation day event, Thackeray was joined by party leaders including Aaditya Thackeray. Earlier in the day, Aaditya had attacked the rebel MPs, describing them as “shameless, ungrateful, and corrupt individuals” who had betrayed the people responsible for their electoral victories, according to ANI.Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde took a swipe at his former ally, saying, “Introspection should be done on why people are abandoning you.”The latest rebellion comes nearly four years after the 2022 split led by Shinde, which resulted in the Election Commission recognising the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena and awarding it the party’s traditional bow-and-arrow symbol. Since then, the Uddhav-led faction has functioned as Shiv Sena (UBT) with the torch symbol.
