Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray’s challenge to CM for poll fight in Worli ‘childish’, says Shinde camp

Aaditya Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

The Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) on Tuesday termed as "childish" former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray's comments, challenging Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to contest election against him from the Worli Assembly seat.

Aaditya, who was a cabinet minister in the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, headed by his father Uddhav Thackeray, is the sitting MLA of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from Worli.

Addressing a press conference, Naresh Mhaske, a spokesperson of the Shinde-led BSS, said Aaditya is not even a shakha pramukh (local party unit chief) and should stop comparing himself with the chief minister, who is a mass leader.

Mhaske said several senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Sunil Shinde and Kishori Pednekar were ignored and ticket was given to Thackeray junior to contest the 2019 Assembly polls from Worli. The former Thane mayor said Aaditya's challenge to Shinde to contest election against him from Worli was "childish".

Also read: Maharashtra: Aaditya Thackeray begins 7th edition of 'Shiv Samvad Yatra' in Marathwada

"I have challenged this unconstitutional chief minister that I would resign as MLA from Worli and you contest election against me. Let me see how you win from Worli," Aaditya said at a party programme last Friday.

The BSS spokesperson said when Uddhav resigned as the chief minister in June last year, he had declared that he would also quit his Legislative Council seat, but the former CM continues to a member of the Upper House.

Mhaske said Aaditya did not contest elections from his family's home turf Bandra and instead went to Worli to fight polls. He said instead of throwing a challenge at Shinde, Aaditya should contest upcoming civic polls against him (Mhaske) from Thane city. Shinde is the MLA from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane.

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