‘Those with whom we fought for 30 yrs, expressed faith in me’: Uddhav thanks Sonia Gandhi

Uddhav Thackeray pays obeisance to his father after being named the CM candidate. (Express photo)

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was unanimously elected as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Congress-NCP-Sena front, known as Maha Vikas Agadhi, at a meeting in Mumbai. Uddhav, the first member of his family to occupy the top political post in the state, will take oath on December 1 at Shivaji Park.

Thanking Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her support, Uddhav said those with whom the Sena aligned for the past 30 years, did not trust him, referring to the BJP. “But those with we fought for 30 years, expressed faith in me,” Uddhav said. Follow LIVE Updates

The Sena chief made the remarks after a joint meeting of the three parties at a suburban hotel, where the MLAs passed a resolution appointing Uddhav as CM nominee of their front.

The development came hours after the three-day-old BJP government collapsed following the resignations of Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister and Ajit Pawar as his deputy. The resignations came after the Supreme Court directed Fadnavis to prove majority on the floor of Maharashtra Assembly.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray being greeted by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. (PTI)

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil proposed Thackeray’s name as “the (next) chief minister”. State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat seconded the proposal.

The meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior party leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana’s Raju Shetti, Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi, MLAs of all these parties and others.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray being greeted after he was chosen as the nominee for Maharashtra chief minister’s post by Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. (PTI)

Uddhav said the new government would be everyone’s government. “It will be our government, it will be common man’s government and there will be no ego hassles,” Uddhav said.

Hitting out at Fadnavis for his remark that BJP had never agreed for a “50-50 formula” with Sena, Uddhav said, “I am not a liar like him. Those who came to Matoshree, went outside and started lying.”

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday where pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar will administer the oath to the 288 newly-elected members.

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