How anger against Modi and Amit Shah has consumed Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray has gone into a brief hibernation after hitting the headlines twice in the last week. A source in the party claims that the Shiv Sena chief is listening to the audio clips of the speeches by his father late Bal Thackeray ahead of his fifth death anniversary on November 17. He is trying to understand how his father dealt with the situations when he was in political dilemma. “No one disturbs him a week before saheb’s death anniversary. He likes to be in his own sphere in these days,” the source says.

Nothing else could have inspired Thackeray when he himself has been caught in a political dilemma. He became a target of the Hindutva supporters after he called on “pro-Muslim” Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at south Mumbai’s Hotel Trident on November 1. Social media screamed, “Tiger is changing his stripes.” The meeting was unusual by many means.

Never before that had any of the Thackeray's stepped out of their residence in Bandra to meet a leader of another party. All meetings took place at "Matoshree" only. Thackeray had made it a prestige issue saying BJP chief Amit Shah must visit him at his residence if the latter wanted cordial relations with the Shiv Sena.

A frustration over the BJP’s policy to neglect him in spite of being a ruling partner drove Thackeray to meet Banerjee whom he had called “anti-Hindu” a month ago after she banned Durga immersion on the day of Moharam. A senior Shiv Sena official says Thackeray believes that he can stop the juggernaut of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah duo at a time almost all political leaders barring Banerjee have virtually surrendered before the Prime Minister. Thackeray feels that if right steps are not taken at this stage no one would be able to contain “Modi’s terror”.

“Going with Congress is out of question,” Thackeray told his party men at a recently held meeting. He argued that the non-BJP CMs who are in power like N Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar and E Palaniswami are not in a mood for confrontation with Modi because “they are lusty for power”. “Mamta has finished our common enemy, the Left. She has guts to take on the mighty,” Thackeray said at the meeting.

Apart from opposition to the “anti-development Left” Thackeray has discovered that Banerjee too had an agenda for sons-of the-soil like him. It is enough to open a front against the BJP. Before meeting Banerjee Thackeray discussed the future of Devendra Fadnavis led state government with NCP chief at the latter’s home in yet another departure from convention. Pawar later claimed that Thackeray was desperate to quit from the government.

The government will not fall even if Thackeray quits but he can definitely damage BJP’s image. Thackeray has been repeatedly saying his patience is running out. He is waiting for the right opportunity and a justified reason to take the final call. Probably, he could find one in the audio clips he is listening.

 (Courtesy of Mail Today.)

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