Aaditya Thackeray's Challenge to Maharashtra CM for Poll Fight in Worli 'Childish', Says Eknath Shinde Camp

Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray had last week challenged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to contest the election against him from the Worli Assembly seat in Mumbai.

Thane: The Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) on Tuesday termed as "childish" former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray's comments challenging Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to contest the election against him from the Worli Assembly seat in Mumbai. Aaditya Thackeray, 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 here, Naresh Mhaske, a spokesperson of the Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, said Aaditya Thackeray is not even a shakha pramukh (local party unit chief) and should stop comparing himself with the CM, who is a mass leader. 

Mhaske said several senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Sunil Shinde and Kishori Pednekar were ignored and the ticket was given to the junior Thackeray to contest the 2019 Assembly polls from Worli in central Mumbai. 

The former Thane mayor said Aaditya Thackeray's challenge to Chief Minister Shinde to contest the election against him from Worli was "childish". 

"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," the junior Thackeray said at a party programme in Mumbai last Friday. 

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

Mhaske said Aaditya Thackeray did not contest elections from his family's home turf Bandra in suburban Mumbai and instead went to Worli to fight polls. 

The BSS spokesperson said instead of throwing challenges at Shinde, Aaditya Thackeray should contest upcoming civic polls against him (Mhaske) from Thane city.

Shinde is the MLA from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane.