BJP Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Pravin Darekar, who is known to be a confidante of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said in Mumbai on Friday that not a single MLA will be left in Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, if Aaditya Thackeray begins to monitor the movements of his MPs and MLAs, to prevent them from defecting.
“Why do you need to take permission to eat? Aaditya Thackeray had gone to meet Chief Minister Fadnavis. Did he take permission? If everybody has to take prior permissions, then not even a single person will be left in the party (Thackeray-led Shiv Sena),” Darekar said.
Darekar was reacting to Aaditya Thackeray’s diktat issued to his MPs on Thursday that they must seek prior permission before attending any luncheon meetings called by leaders of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, who are reportedly luring Thackeray MLAs through ‘Operation Tiger’.
In a related development, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said, “We are trying to grow the Shiv Sena. We welcome all those who are joining the party. Eventually, those who have stayed back (in Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena) will also join us”.
Aaditya Thackeray had issued his diktat, a day after Rajan Salvi, an old Bal Thackeray-era loyalist veteran from coastal Konkan region, who spent more than 35 years in the undivided Shiv Sena, left Thackeray-led Sena and joined Shinde-led Sena, giving a boost to Deputy CM Shinde’s ‘Operation Tiger’ strategy of luring away members of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to join his party.
However, sources had said that Aaditya Thackeray’s diktat had upset some Shiv Sena MPs, who expressed their displeasure.
Earlier, it came to light that a dinner was organised recently at the residence of Union Minister and Eknath Shinde Sena leader Prataprao Jadhav.
Parbhani MP Sanjay (Bandu) Jadhav, Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Shirdi MP Bhausaheb Wakchoure had attended the dinner, according to sources.
Besides, Eknath Shinde Sena’s Naresh Mhaske and Shrirang Barne were present at a dinner organised by Thackeray-led Sena MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar at his residence in New Delhi, sources said.
Apart from these developments, it was learnt that Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde had also organised a dinner for MPs from Maharashtra.
It was expected that Thackeray-led Sena MPs would not attend this dinner, but Thackeray-led Sena’s North East Mumbai MP Sanjay Dina Patil was present at this dinner, sources said.