Maharashtra | 'I Will Not Go With A Scoundrel': When Bal Thackeray Once Slammed NCP

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, at a press conference on Tuesday, said the Congress, the NCP and his party will work out a formula for formation of the government in Maharashtra facing political uncertainty for nearly three weeks now. Even as Uddhav was addressing the media, videos and quotes of his father Bal Thackeray's scathing attacks on the Congress and the NCP were being shared on social media, many reminding the Sena chief of what the party founder had once what said about both the parties.

In an interview to NDTV in 1999, Bal Thackeray had used the term "scoundrel" while rejecting the possibility of any alliance with Sharad Pawar.

"Possibility in politics...what? If at all it is said that it is a game of scoundrels, it is for a man to decide whether he wants to remain a gentleman or a scoundrel. If anybody's trying to become a scoundrel, then? But I will not go along with a scoundrel, whoever he may be," Thackeray senior replied on being asked about the possibility of an alliance with his bitter rival.

Thackeray also declared that he would "never" align with Sharad Pawar's NCP.

"The man responsible for toppling the (BJP's) Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, how can we afford to shake hands with him? I will never at least. I will never."

"Sharad Pawar was the one who openly said to the press - 'yes, my responsibility was to topple the government. That I have done'. He's an expert in that. Knowing full well that he is the man (responsible) for the damage...think of the people, the voters. Will they tolerate it? They will say you are cheating us," said Bal Thackeray.

On Tuesday, Uddhav said the Sena needs a clarity on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) just like the Congress and the NCP if a government is to be formed with their support.

"We have got six months.The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress will sit together and work out a CMP. The Sena and the Congress-NCP have different views on several issues...they will work out and stake claim for government formation," Uddhav said.

The Sena president took a dig at Governor BS Koshyari over denial of more time to drum up support for government formation in the state, where President's rule was imposed on Tuesday evening.

The Sena had failed to produce the required letters of support of the NCP and the Congress when it met the Governor on Monday night to stake a claim to form government.

The Sena, with 56 seats, is the second largest party after the BJP (105). If it comes together with the NCP (54) and the Congress (44), the three parties (with their combined tally of 154) can easily breach the majority mark of 145 in the 288-member house. The state plunged into political uncertainty following the BJP-Sena tussle over power-sharing though their alliance got a comfortable majority in the October 21 Assembly polls.

(With PTI inputs)