Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray sacks senior leader Ramdas Kadam amid tussle over party

MUMBAI: In a major development, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who is locked in a bitter battle with his rebel party leader and incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for control over his party, on Monday removed several party leaders for alleged anti-party activities. “Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) chief Uddhav Thackeray removed senior leader Ramdas Kadam and former MP Anandrao Adsul for anti-party activities,” Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said, according to ANI.

Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) chief Uddhav Thackeray removes senior leader Ramdas Kadam and former MP Anandrao Adsul for anti-party activities: Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut — ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2022

Ramdas Kadam and his son Yogesh have reportedly joined the rebel Shiv Sena faction led by CM Eknath Shinde. However, it also emerged that Kadam, a senior Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister, has resigned, claiming he was consistently "insulted" while Thackeray always remained busy when he was the chief minister.

Kadam wrote a letter to Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena, tendering his resignation as "Shiv Sena leader". In his letter, Kadam expressed his anguish over the 2019 post-poll alliance between Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress, which he said was a betrayal of the thoughts of Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray.

Kadam, who hails from the Ratnagiri district, became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the first time in 1990 and went on to win three more terms. He was appointed as Shiv Sena leader in 2005. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2009. He became an MLC for the first time in 2010 and again in 2015.

Kadam had served as the state environment minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena government in 2014-19. Kadam has been sulking as he was not given any ministerial post when the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) remained in power (from November 2019 to June 2022). He was also denied another term as a member of the state Legislative Council last year. Last month, Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde rebelled against the party along with 39 legislators.

Ramdas Kadam's son Yogesh Kadam, the MLA from Dapoli in Ratnagiri district, had also joined the Shinde camp. Shinde was on June 30 sworn in as the chief minister and BJP's Devendra Fadnavis had taken the oath as his deputy.

"My MLA son Yogesh and I were consistently insulted and you were always busy after becoming the chief minister. I was appointed as Shiv Sena leader by the late Balasaheb Thackeray. However, I realised that there is no meaning to the post after his death," Ramdas Kadam stated in his letter to Thackeray.

"When you were forming a government with the NCP and Congress, I requested you with folded hands not to do so. (As) the late Balasaheb Thackeray always fought against Congress, it would be the betrayal with his thoughts."

Kadam said he has been feeling hurt since Thackeray went ahead with forming the government with the NCP and Congress. "You did not listen to me that time. It hurts me today as well. Had Shiv Sena supremo been around, I would have not faced this day in my life," he added.

(With Agency Inputs)