Shiv Sena on Tuesday, 23 January, passed a resolution moved by MP Sanjay Raut after it was unanimously supported by all party leaders.
Aditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray and Yuva Sena chief, was also elevated to the Shiv Sena national executive committee as a leader in the meeting where the resolution was passed.
After Shiv Sena’s announcement, The Quint got a chance to talk to the Shiv Sena MP who started the conversation by saying that the motion has been passed by the party, not by himself.
When asked about what message the party is trying to send, he said that the only message is that the Party will work hard to get Shiv Sena in power with 100 percent majority in the state.
Maharastra’s situation seems hopeful to us and we are confident that Shiv Sena will come to power with 100 percent support in Maharastra in 2019.Sanjay Raut, Leader, Shiv Sena
The National Democratic Alliance had held a meeting in Delhi in 2017 to assert that the Shiv Sena will be contesting the 2019 Elections in alliance with BJP. However, Tuesday's meeting has contradicted the same when the Shiv Sena announced that it will be contesting the elections on their own, creating a lot of confusion among people.
When asked about the confusion created upon this sudden change, Raut said, "There is no confusion regarding the change. And as far as 100 percent majority is concerned, even Uddhav Ji has said the same in his speech.”
Shiv Sena has made its plans clear. It plans to come into power in 2019 with complete majority, which is what they say is the reason to have decided on contesting the elections alone.
Upon Shiv Sena's decision to contest 2019 elections by themselves, letting go of the BJP alliance, BJP's president for Mumbai said that Maharastra and India's population was also ready for the split.
“BJP wanted to stay in the alliance but Shiv Sena has decided so we will make one thing clear – this is Shiv Sena's loss but still they are entitled to make their own decisions.”
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