Uddhav Thackeray resigned as prime minister on Wednesday, two and a half years after Maha Vikas Aghadi’s government was formed in Maharashtra. Announcing his resignation via a social media post, an emotional Thackeray told rebel Shiv Sena MLAs that he was not interested in their “game”, and will resign a day before the floor test. Here are the top comments from the outgoing Maharashtra CM:
“When everything went well for us, this step was very surprising. I’m also not interested in the MLC seat. I’m with the people now.”
Asking the rebel MLAs to return to Mumbai as there is no threat to their lives, Thackeray said: “Do you need the protection of paramilitary forces to come to Mumbai today? Please come to Mumbai, we won’t stop you.
“Has democracy been reduced to numbers alone? Even if a Shiv Sainik is against me, I will be ashamed.”
“I don’t want to be a part of this game. I know who your allies are and I know you have the majority. You have all benefited from Balasaheb Thackeray, and today you have succeeded in bringing down Balasaheb’s son. You can celebrate that fact. That is my sin.”
“Whatever we do, we do it for the Marathi Manus. I don’t need a chair. I’m resigning.”
“After the cabinet gave an official nod to rename Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv, Thackeray said, referring to the ‘rebellious’ Shiv Sena lawmakers: “I have been able to fulfill Balasaheb’s dream… Those who the renaming of these places is not with me, those who have always opposed it were ironically present with me.”
‘Who are you mad at? Are you mad at me? Are you mad at my party? Or: Are you mad at my agenda? Why didn’t you come and see me in Matoshree instead of going to Guwahati, Goa or Surat? Whatever you feel, please come and tell my face. We would have accepted you as ours – couldn’t you have come forward and talked to me?”
“I had come (to power) in an unexpected way and I am going out in a similar way. I’m not leaving forever, I’ll be here, and I’ll be in Shiv Sena Bhawan again. I will gather all my people.”
“Some kind of bad luck has come over my government, but I want to thank Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. I want to thank the people of the NCP and Congress for their support. From Shiv Sena, Anil Parab, Subhash Desai and Aaditya Thackeray, these people were only present when the cabinet proposal for renaming the cities was passed.”
